Abstract :
The car industry is in a bad way. Vehicles sit unsold on garage forecourts, factories are semi-idle and countless manufacturing jobs are at risk. Even the world´s most profitable carmaker, Toyota, has had its first losses in nearly 70 years. While the future of the car is not in doubt, the shape it takes will be heavily influenced by the need to turn this tumbleweed into green shoots. State aid for the credit-crunched car companies is being offered only in exchange for a commitment to making greener vehicles.
