Toyota
Hydrogen Fuel-cell Lexus LS for 2021 Spied
Lexus redesigned its flagship LS sedan for the 2019 model year, releasing it in ICE and hybrid versions. The hybrid version is good, but Lexus– and its parent company, Toyota– seem to be falling behind in the premium ZEV/EV race, though, especially considering the launch of the Hardware 3 Teslas. Toyota hopes to start clawing some of that gap back next year, however, with the launch of the 2021 Lexus LS FC, caught here in testing by Paul Tan. That news may upset some readers who are under the impression that hydrogen fuel cells are bad, bad things, but there’s still quite a few companies– namely, Toyota/Lexus and Honda— who are believers. They’re partnering with other companies like Shell and Kenworth, too, who have a stake in a liquid fuel infrastructur...
Infographic: Toyota Set to Reduce Carbon Emissions 40% by 2022
With great power comes great responsibility– and, with its international engineering and manufacturing empire spanning six continents, it would be hard to argue that Toyota didn’t have great power. That’s why it’s so nice to see the giant automaker take corporate its responsibility seriously. Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050 goal of cutting global emissions from plant operations to zero globally by the year 2050 is massively optimistic, of course. To prove they’re serious, however, Toyota has made another commitment: cut its US carbon emissions 40% by 2022. “Toyota has long been defined by its commitment to responsible environmental practices, and we’re proud to build upon that great legacy today,” said Kevin Butt, General Manager ...
Earth to Toyota: Where are your EVs?
The Toyota Prius was nothing short of revolutionary when it was first released over two decades ago. Combining the promise of a smaller carbon footprint with a reduced gas bill, the Prius immediately became the vehicle of choice for environmentalists and cheapskates alike. Toyota can and should be praised for its hybrid program and the contributions that the program has made to a greener future. Still, those of us interested in electric vehicle (EV) technology have to wonder: why doesn’t Toyota offer and all-electric version of the Prius or any of its other models? According to Gerald Killman, Vice President of Research and Development for Toyota in European Markets, the company decided that it would be able to sell many more hybrid vehicles than it could EVs, and this would ultimate...
5 More Carmakers Back Toyota’s Autonomous Play
Toyota launched its boxy “e-palette” multi-purpose concept vehicle last fall with a somewhat unorthodox business partner working to help them develop it. I say “unorthodox” because Toyota didn’t partner another automaker on this one. No, for this project, Toyota partnered up with SoftBank. In hindsight, that was probably a smart move– because five more automakers have decided to invest in the joint venture, as well. In a rare joint statement, Japanese automakers Suzuki, Mazda, Subaru, Isuzu, and Daihatsu will each invest 57.1 million yen ($530,620) in the venture– called “Monet”– in exchange for 2% of the Toyota/SoftBank company. SoftBank and Toyota will each retain their 35% stakes in the company, which is now capitalized at $26....
Toyota Releases Thousands of Hybrid Patents
In a complete reversal of its longstanding policy, Toyota has decided to stop suing every manufacturer that dares to offer a hybrid vehicle to the public in an effort to protect its more than 24,000 patents on the technology. It says everyone is free to use those patents without paying royalties from now until 2030. Why? Because it thinks there is more money to be made consulting with others than preserving the moat it has built around it hybrid systems. Toyota executives believe that other companies will be happy to pay it fees to use its tech, saying “when (other companies) use Toyota’s motors, batteries, PCUs, control ECUs, and other vehicle-electrification system technologies as part of their power train systems,” according to Green Car Reports. More Hybrids for More People Toyo...
40 Photo Gallery: All-new 2020 Toyota Supra
Jeez– it’s been over a week since Toyota launched the all-new for 2020 Toyota Supra, and I can barely bring myself to care. I have a feeling, if I’m being honest, that you’re probably not that excited about it, either. Weirdly, no one seems to be. Are people underwhelmed because the new Supra just “feels” a lot more BMW than it does Toyota. Maybe it’s because the production car looks so much like the FT-1 Concept that debuted back in 2014 that we’re already used to its shape. Maybe it’s because we were promised a 400 HP hybrid supercar … and what we got was a fairly conventional sporty coupe with a 3.0 liter, BMW-built, turbobocharged six cylinder that makes “just” 335 HP and 365 TQ that feeds power exclusively through...
Toyota Partners With Kenworth To Develop Next Generation Hydrogen Trucks #CES2019
Toyota and Kenworth have taken the wraps off a collaboration that will see the two companies jointly developing 10 zero-emission trucks powered by Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell energy storage technology.
LA 2018: Toyota Launches First AWD Prius
Whether it was through leaked technical drawings or fanciful renderings of our own making, we’ve been been predicting the coming of an all-wheel drive Toyota Prius for years. It never arrived– until last week’s LA Auto Show, that is, when Toyota took the wraps of the all-new Toyota Prius AWD! Well, it’s not ALL all-new. See, Toyota has been offering an AWD Prius in Japan since 2016. There, the system is called “e-Four” instead of “AWD-e” as it will be called here. Regardless, it works the same way– which is to say: it’s weird. In typical Prius fashion, AWD-e doesn’t have a conventional drive shaft from the front to the back axle. Instead, a second electric motor is installed at the back of the car. That motor provides extra ...
2018 Toyota Alphard Rowen, or: Japanese Van Culture is Insane
Most gear heads already know that we, here in the United States, don’t always get all of the products offered by a given car maker. Ford has been selling Rangers in Europe for years, Nissan has an innovative hybrid minivan that would change the face of the US van market, and Mazda has a 6-based station wagon that’s so pretty it’ll melt your socks. For whatever reason, though, the powers-that-be at those companies have decided not to bring those cars here. It’s a shame, because we end up missing out on insanity like this: the 2018 Toyota Alpherd by Rowen. The Toyota Alphard is an Asian-market minivan that’s aggressively styled with a broad, metallic grin that wouldn’t look out of place on a Power Ranger’s rig. As wild as it looks from the factory, t...
Lexus “Fast as h” Ads Target Public Performance Perception
It’s a fact that perception lags reality. Even so, some people are more perceptive than others. That’s why you, dear reader, already know that the all-electric Tesla is bonkers fast and that the hybrid Ferrari is the fastest one you can buy. Your neighbor with the betesticled pickup that hauls nothing but sealing wax and sailboat fuel, though? That guy still thinks hybrids are slow- and Lexus wants to change his mind. To that end, the company is launching a new ad campaign called “Fast as h”. The plan is to showcase Lexus’ hybrid vehicle lineup and its impressive performance numbers. “People believe if they choose a hybrid, they have to compromise on performance, value or styling,” explains Cooper Ericksen, Lexus vice president of marketing. “The n...
Gas2 Week in Review, February 18: The State of Electric Trucking — Tesla and Its Competitors
Is the trucking industry ready for all-electric trucking -- from Tesla or other vehicle manufacturers?
Hydrogen Future Rolls On: Toyota Mirai Taxis Launched in Dubai
The Hydrogen fuel cell Future keeps Rolling On: a fleet of fuel cell powered Toyota Mirai Taxis is being Launched in Dubai to compete against Tesla taxis.