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Rival Japanese auto makers Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Corp. are at odds over how to develop technology to cut harmful vehicle emissions.

Toyota president Fujio Cho wants auto makers to work together to achieve that goal, while Honda chief Hiroyuki Yoshino said yesterday his company prefers to go it alone.

"We must continue to co-operate in the laboratory and compete in the showroom," Mr. Cho said at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The cost and complexity of developing environmentally friendly technologies "are well beyond the resources of any single company," Mr. Cho said.

Toyota already has advanced technology alliances with General Motors Corp. and Volkswagen AG.

Indeed, the battle to concoct zero-emission fuel-cell technology -- which combines hydrogen and oxygen without combustion to generate electricity -- emerged as the No. 1 issue on the minds of the world's auto executives at the auto show.

Mr. Yoshina, Honda's president and chief executive officer, is confident his company can get there first, and without collaboration.

"We believe that developing fuel-cell technology in-house is an advantage," Mr. Yoshina said. "It will provide us with a better capability to advance fuel-cell vehicles to the market in the future."

However, Mr. Yoshina said Honda will work with other auto makers in marketing and on developing an infrastructure that would support an industry shift away from the pollution-causing gasoline-powered internal combustion engine.

Mr. Yoshina said Honda is still on track to launch a fuel-cell vehicle by 2003. But he couldn't say when it will be ready for mass production or how much consumers could expect to pay for the vehicle.

Honda showed off its fuel cell-powered FCX concept passenger car, but the company said it has built other prototypes that can be fuelled by hydrogen and methanol.

North American companies also used the auto show as a chance to demonstrate their technological prowess in the fuel-cell contest.

General Motors Corp. said its hydrogen-powered fuel-cell concept car called the Precept, which made its debut at the auto show, could be in production by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. unveiled the TH!NK FC5 four-door passenger car powered by the Mark 900 fuel-cell system, which Burnaby, B.C.-based Ballard Power Systems Inc. showcased earlier this week.

Ballard, which has been working on fuel-cell technology with its partners, Ford and DaimlerChrysler AG, said 250,000 to 300,000 vehicles could be powered by Mark 900 fuel cells in 2003.

While fuel cells seem to be top priority, auto makers are also busy toiling with hybrid vehicles, which are powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity.

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Study and track financial data on any traded entity: click to open the full quote page. Data updated as of 28/03/24 4:00pm EDT.

SymbolName% changeLast
BLDP-Q
Ballard Power Sys
0%2.78
BLDP-T
Ballard Power Systems Inc
-0.26%3.77
F-N
Ford Motor Company
+1.68%13.28
GM-N
General Motors Company
+1.7%45.35
HMC-N
Honda Motor Company ADR
-0.24%37.23
TM-N
Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord ADR
-0.19%251.68

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