Showing posts with label Toyota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toyota. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Toyota to Use Prius Hybrids to Supply Household Appliances with Electricity!


As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. In Japan’s case, the devastating earthquake in March and the subsequent damages to the country’s infrastructure put the spotlight on Toyota’s Estima Hybrid minivan that features a system allowing the supply of auxiliary electricity to power household appliances.

The minivan’s owners were extremely satisfied with the system, which effectively turns the hybrid system into an electric generator that runs on gasoline, claiming that it was invaluable during the extended blackouts in Japan.

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Update: Toyota Says RAV-4 EV Will Be Sold to the General Public


Toyota has just issued a statement disputing a recent report from Reuters by saying that the upcoming all-electric RAV-4 will be available for sale to the general public as well.

The Reuters story, which Carscoop also reported on, said that the RAV-4 EV would only be sold to fleet customers and car sharing programs, citing Geri Yoza, the National Business Planning Manager of Advanced Vehicle Marketing, as the source.

Here’s Toyota’s official statement:

“Recent reports have incorrectly stated that the 2012 RAV4 EV will only be marketed to fleet and car sharing programs. We’d like to set the record straight. The 2012 RAV4 EV will definitely be sold to the general public. We anticipate robust public interest in the RAV4 EV and are keen to inform consumers that their future vehicle options include a battery electric Toyota

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

2012 Toyota Fortuner: SUV Version of Facelifted HiLux Makes Asian Debut


After last week’s presentation of the redesigned 2012 HiLux in Europe, Toyota went ahead and introduced the Asian market version of the pickup truck, called HiLux Vigo in Thailand, as well its SUV sibling, the seven-passenger Fortuner.

Both the HiLux Vigo and Fortuner sport the same styling revisions with their European counterpart including the new front end with the chromed out, razor edge grille, new alloy wheel options, and interior refinements such as the redesigned instrument panel plus trim and equipment updates.

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Double Standards, or how (Not) to Sell Cars to Women


In the 1950s, products for women were no doubt designed and marketed by men. Take for example the 1955 Dodge Le Femme, a truly absurd car (by today’s standards) that came with a matching purse, raincoat and umbrella as well as a bright pint interior with rose-patterned trim.

It’s the equivalent of offering a car today with a…tampon dispenser in the glovebox.

Across the pond there was the Daimler 104 Ladies’ Model with electric windows, a simplified gear change (no, I did not make that up), an umbrella and a vanity case under the dashboard.

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Toyota’s Upcoming RAV4 EV will NOT be Sold to the General Public


The pure electric version of the RAV4 will not be sold directly to the U.S. public when it arrives in the market in the first quarter if 2012 as originally planned, according to Geri Yoza, Toyota’s national business planning manager of advanced vehicle marketing.

Instead, the EV version of the Japanese company’s popular SUV will be leased only to fleet customers and car sharing programs.

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Rising Yen won’t Hurt Nissan’s Sales, says Ghosn


Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, has predicted that Japan’s second biggest carmaker will achieve its sales targets, despite the yen’s 9.6% climb over the US dollar in the past year. However Ghosn admitted that the strength of the Yen may cause problems: “The high yen is definitely a headwind. What I worry about is not just Nissan, but Japanese manufacturers losing their motivation to maintain production in Japan”. Read more »

Saturday, July 16, 2011

US Government offers Concessions to Detroit Big 3's Trucks Models


According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the US government is willing to allow carmakers to lower the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) of their future trucks and SUVs at a slower rate than normal cars.

In return, the Obama administration wants to reach a deal by early next week that will allow the government to improve mileage standards from today’s target of 35.5 mpg (6.6 lt/100 km) by 2016 to 56 mpg (4.2 lt/100 km) by 2025 for both cars and light trucks, leaving the automakers a longer period of time to bring their large trucks, pickups and SUVs in line.

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