Battered carmakers play up green future

SALES of gasoline-powered vehicles have slumped in recent months, but car makers are blowing away the credit-crunch blues with plans for new green vehicles. At last month's North American International Auto show in Detroit, Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Toyota revealed new plans for, or new details of, electric or hybrid vehicles. Chrysler, which unveiled its Chevy Volt electric car at last year's show, said the vehicle was still expected to be launched in the US in 2010. Ford has plans for a small electric car, capable of achieving 100 miles to a charge, in 2011 and expects to launch a plug-in hybrid by 2012. Toyota also staked its claim in the electric car market with the demonstration of an e