San Francisco  - Is the US going to switch its dependence on foreign oil for a dependence on foreign battery makers? That's the question posed Thursday by a consortium of US firms who announced their intention to ask the incoming administration of president-elect Barack Obama for a billion-dollar boost.

The National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture plans to build a plant in the US to research and manufacture advanced lithium ion batteries for hybrid and electric cars that are currently made almost exclusively in Asia.

Washington  - US President George W Bush Bush is weighing whether to endorse a structured bankruptcy for ailing automakers to prevent a "disorderly collapse" of the industry, the White House said Thursday.

"The president is not going to allow a disorderly collapse of the companies," spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "That is not an option."

"There's an orderly way to do bankruptcies that provides for more of a soft landing," she added. "I think that's what we would be talking about."

Washington  - Hoping to avoid bankruptcy, ailing US carmaker Chrysler LLC on Friday will shut down all of its manufacturing plants for at least one month because of plummeting car sales, the company announced Wednesday.

Chrysler's announcement comes after US lawmakers last week failed to agree on a 14-billion-dollar emergency loan for the US car industry. Chrysler and General Motors Corp have said they do not expect to survive without federal aid.

Due to slump in passenger car sales, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has revealed that it is searching the options to trim down its production by 30 percent in the month of December.

According to sources, Toyota has a facility to generate over 5,000 units a month at its plant situated near Bangalore.

In a move to boost demand and tame worldwide crisis, government of the country on December 7, cut down Central VAT (Cenvat) by 4%.

Tokyo - Nissan Moto

Ingolstadt, Germany  - Audi's new A5 open-top version, which will be available in European showrooms by mid-2009, comes with an array of features including a fabric top with the large rear window.

The top of the line is the S5. Its three-litre TFSI, a V6 with turbocharger, unfolds 245 kW/333 hp and 440 Nm of torque. The sporty character is underscored with quattro drive, a sport suspension with 18-inch wheels and a number of special equipment details.