Toyota Parts Blog » Being Green

Lexus Eco Challenge offers Scholarships to Students

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:21:52 +0000

Every year, Lexus in cooperation with Scholastics inc. hosts a contest that aims to push students into thinking about the future of our planet. Lexus has ever since it’s founding been concerned for the well being of planet earth, and with the rise of Hybrid vehicles, it has led the luxury sector of that industry. Naturally, this kind of contest just seemed to be something meant to happen. Teams of 5 students and a teacher advisor every year compete for thousands of dollars worth in scholarships from all over the country, and has involved more than 20,000 students over the last four years. In those last four years, according to a news release on the subject, “more than $3 million has been awarded to students, teachers and schools across the nation. This fall, students are invited to participate in the fifth annual Lexus Eco Challenge for a chance to win part of $500,000 in grants and scholarships.”

The contest involves three separate contests. The first round of the overall event allows for students to choose one of the two entry contests, one based on “Land/Water”, one on “Air/Climate”. Teams are instructed to find one issue in their community that has to do with the two involved topics and research possible solutions. The winner of the first team is determined by who seems to address the issue at hand through an Action Plan Powerpoint presentation. Limited by a size restriction of 15-20 MB, the Action PPT must consider the issue and address it in a logical/feasible way. However, the ideas in the Action Plan must have been implemented in the community for a positive result. In this way, Lexus and Scholastic are pushing students to really make a difference in their communities.

The report online received an interview from Mark Templin, the Lexus Group VP and General Manager. ”Last year the students and teachers went above and beyond the scope of the Lexus Eco Challenge,” said Templin. “We’re eager to see what the fifth year will bring us. Every year, we see the students and their teachers being more resourceful and committed to their projects. It’s wonderful to see how the Lexus Eco Challenge is making an impact on their schools, community and our environment.”

The following link is from Scholastic’s information homepage on the Lexus Eco Challenge. This team from Clark Magnet school in California entered last year and won $10,000 in prize money. Click HERE for more Info.

Toyota and Ford Announce Joint Hybrid and Telematic Projects

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:37:45 +0000

Ford has always been a staple in the U.S. automotive market. They obviously started the mobile revolution with the Model T, and have been in constant competition with Toyota for the market share in the U.S. While Toyota has been focusing most on their fuel efficiency and green-house gas consumption, Ford has been moving towards a rougher image that focuses on durability and reliability. Both companies seem to be driving down different business models that end up fairly separate from each other. However, they recently announced that they would be collaborating to move closer towards their own business models, to give buyers a better experience overall.

One of the main goals of the collaboration is to integrate more hybrid technologies into the sport-sedan’s and Trucks of the U.S. market. They are notoriously the most inefficient and gas-guzzling types of vehicles, but not by accident. they are specifically designed to put out as much horsepower as possible, in order to preform special tasks their owners need. By nature, they are hard engineer in a “green” way. This is why the two automotive giants will be working together. Toyota has by far the most experience with Hybrid technologies . “Toyota achieved a breakthrough in these challenges in nineteen ninety-seven (1997),” Takeshi Uchiyamada, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation said. “That is when we launched the first-generation Prius as the world’s first mass-production gasoline-electric hybrid… Our collaboration with Ford is a move to make hybrid technology more widely available in sport-utility vehicles and in trucks. Those kinds of models are indispensable to American customers. And providing them with our hybrid technology will help conserve energy and reduce output of greenhouse gas here in the United States. That was our thinking in considering the collaboration.”

Another goal of the joint operation will be to improve the current state of telematics in vehicles and their integration into the infrastructure. The world is stored on the cloud these days, and Toyota believes that vehicles of the future will integrate this technology. Companies have already started this trend: Toyota with their Entune, and Ford with their voice controlled Sync Technology. “By sharing our know-how and experience, we would like to offer even better telematics services going forward,” Uchiyamada said. With increasing technology, however, comes a more important need for plug-in models and rechargeable aspects. “In the future, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles will be connected with home energy systems, and with energy infrastructure. That will help raise overall energy efficiency, and motoring lifestyles will become more rewarding.”

Overall, the two companies are sure to learn from both their radically different business models. While there will definitely be ideas floating between both of them, the Toyota Parts you know and love will still be Toyota Parts. “We are counting on this collaboration between Toyota and Ford to benefit American society and to open a new page in the history of the world automobile industry. As an engineer, I will be deeply gratified to see us fulfill those aims.”

Scion iQ Micro-Subcompact

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:39:59 +0000

Microcars have been around on the road since the 1940′s, and they definitely have changed over the years. When they first started being produced by European countries, they were mostly based on motorcycles and used during war times to transport messages and small packages. However, as the 20th and 21st century havecome and passed, the Microcar or “SubCompact” vehicle has been on the bleeding edge of innovative design and unparalleled fuel efficiency. They are now designed to fit usually 2 to 4 passengers through crowded city streets and are produced with manuverability at the top of the priority list. The Smart car, launched in 1988, quickly became the worlds most popular SubCompact, but with Toyota’s newly introduced 2012 Scion iQ Premium Micro-Subcompact, there may be a new micro on the block.

The main goal in Toyota’s design labs when creating the 2012 Scion iQ was “Intelligent Design, Not Sacrifice”. From the Front-mounted differential, to the A/C unit, everything in the iQ was designed with space in mind. It integrates the “3+1″ seating arrangement to allow “one adult to sit behind the front passenger and a child or small package behind the driver.” This allows the iQ to have a very small appearance on the outside, while still having a spacious interior that can house 4 people. This is a new trend we are seeing on the SubCompact models, that will allow smaller families living in the city to take advantage of these fuel efficient vehicles.

Toyota also wanted to make sure the vehicle would still be able to preform to industry standards while taking up only 120.1 inches. To do this, they included a “1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 94 horsepower and 89 lb.-ft of torque”. It is an efficient choice in energy consumption that will still yeild the kind of power Toyota customers have come to expect from the company and its Toyota Parts.

The iQ includes some of the best safety features the industry has to offer. It is “packed with an industry leading 11 standard airbags, including the world’s first rear window airbag” and comes standard with the Star Safety System. Antilock Brakes, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist, Traction Control, Vehicle Stability Contro, and Smart Stop Technology brake-override will be standard on all the 2012 models.

For more information on the new addition to the Scion family, visit the news release found HERE.

Toyota Prius PLUS Accessory Package

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:32:39 +0000

The Toyota Prius PLUS is the new performance package that the Toyota Prius will be recieving.

So the Toyota Prius has always been a fan for those who want to show they care about the environment, obviously because of it’s revolutionary hybrid synergy drive powered by Toyota Parts. Unfortunately, Toyota has struggled to make the Prius a big hit with another side of the automotive consumer market. High-end performance drivers and car buyers have always seemed to avoid the Prius. However, the new Prius PLUS package aims to show the fiercer side of the world famous hybrid.

This new package will completely reinvent the options for the Prius that people are aware of. The package reworks several Toyota Parts already making the Prius great, while at the same time tweaking some exterior options that make the Prius more aerodynamic. 7 pieces, including the rear bumper, front bumper, hood, and several other parts, reform the well known profile of the Prius. Everything about the Prius PLUS package has been aimed at giving the vehicle a more performance oriented niche on the road.

Things under the hood have stayed mostly the same, although the suspension has definitely been tweaked. The new package drops the vehicle approximately 1.1 inches in the front and 1.3 inches in the rear in order to push the vehicle to it’s aerodynamic limits. The lower the center of gravity, the quicker the turns, and the greater acceleration the vehicle can experience coming out of a turn. The tires were adjusted, as well as reworked visually, and several different minor tweaks were applied to balance out the vehicle.

According to the post on the Toyota Parts newsroom, the new package will come in “four of the popular Prius colors: Blizzard Pearl, Classic Silver Metallic, Black and Winter Gray Metallic. The added features of the PLUS make this the most fun-to-drive, performance-enhanced Prius, while maintaining its industry-leading fuel efficiency.”

Toyota Opens Hydrogen Fueling Station

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:24:49 +0000

As many of you may know, Hydrogen vehicles are on the rise in the automotive industry. While there is not a current option for the everyday consumer that is powered by the quasi-mythical Hydrogen Fuel cell, whenever the future of transportation is concerned they come into the conversation. However, in order for the industry to make this move, the infrastructure must supply a steady stream of liquid and or gaseous hydrogen and the prices of Hydrogen vehicles must drastically decrease over the next couple years.

Via LA times

This week Toyota unveiled a Hydrogen fuelling station that will be the beginning framework of the infrastructure needed to sell hydrogen powered vehicles. Located in Torrence, California, this station was built to start the process. Toyota is now leasing the land to Shell, who operates and maintains the station, and any customer of the very few in California can come and refuel at the free station. The main distinction between this station and other hydrogen stations around California is how it gets it’s hydrogen.

Unlike others, Toyota’s new fueling station does not get it’s hydrogen from a truck delivery. Instead, the complex receives it’s fuel from an underground pipeline already in place, put there by Air Products. This is a huge step for a hydrogen fueled infrastructure because it allows the station to depend on something as steady as a pipeline.

The price of Hydrogen vehicles is the next thing holding back this advance in technology. Currently, automotive engineers agree that the price of hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles usually hovers around 100,000, which is understandably an unrealistic price for the open market. Instead, Toyota is striving to reach a goal of 50,000 by 2015. By then, they hope to have supplied and integrated the US infrastructure with enough Hydrogen fuelling stations to supply consumers investing in the vehicle.

Hydrogen is, after all, the most abundant element in the universe.

2011 Toyota Prius Ships to Select Cities and Businesses

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:55:04 +0000

For years, consumers have waited for an efficient car alternative that cuts emissions, but have worried about the range of the battery. Toyota is cashing in on this need with its 2011 Toyota Prius, reported on by Motor Trend. Today, the company began to ship out a limited number of 2011 Prius to few businesses and cities in Europe and the US. One city receiving the Prius, Strasburg, has installed approximately 300 recharging stations, which brings us to the next big feature; the vehicle features the company’s first plug – in hybrid. The Prius will run on an electric motor alone for 14 miles before it switches to its gas powered motor, allowing it an apx. 870 mile range.

Other automotive manufacturers have plans for hybrid plug – in models, i.e. the Chevrolet Volt, but the 2011 Prius uses a revolutionary Lithium ion Battery. The battery can hold a longer charge than the Volt, and it is less expensive. When it hits the sales floor, the Volt is expected to cost approximately $47,000. The Prius, however, will cost about 3 million yen ($33,770). With a cheaper price and a more advanced battery, Toyota hopes to take over the market for Plugin hybrids with their environmentally safe Toyota Parts.

New Electric Car Revealed

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:49:45 +0000

The FT-EV II is a compact Electric Vehicle designed for short distances, and it is based on the idea of a future mobility society in which EVs are common. The FT-EV II features a high-quality package extremely convenient in urban settings.

-Ultra-efficient package with body more compact than ultra-compact “iQ”, but still with seating for four

-Drive-by-wire technology enables joystick operation of all functions including accelerator, brakes and steering wheel; ample leg room provided by elimination of accelerator and brake pedals assist the Toyota Parts.

-Electric sliding doors on both sides

-Top-speed of over 100km/h

-Easy coverage of over 90km on fully charged battery-ample for everyday use

This new car is extremely quiet and a comfortable ride with smooth acceleration, thanks to TMC-cultivated motor-control technology, which is part of the hybrid system at the core of TMC’s environmental technologies.

2009 Highlander

Cash for Clunkers: a Good idea or a Clunker itself?

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:37:38 +0000

The new ‘Cash for Clunkers’ plan was a big hit when it opened a week ago Friday. Cash for Clunkers was the #1 search word on Google. But it was too big of a hit; it might seem for the government. The six month supply of money that was used to pay back the dealerships was gone within the week. Nobody anticipated this to be so popular. Congress is trying to get another 2 billion to pay back the dealerships, but no money has been granted yet.

On the first day of Cash for Clunkers, Dealers all around the country received the rules of the program. The Clunker must be drivable and has to be continuously insured and registered to you for one year. Trade in cars must get no more than 18 miles to the gallon. The Dealer is destroying your old car. And the Dealer’s retail price for the trade it cannot except $45,000.

On the first weekend, dealerships saw a 20% – 30% increase in new car sales. But, as they went in to submit the information required to get the refund, they found the website constantly down due to the overload of people using the website. It is still this way today.

The top car model that was traded in over the past couple of weeks was the 1998 Ford Explorer. In a close second and third is the 1997 and 1996 models. The Toyota Corolla and Prius are numbers three and four in top cars to trade in for.

If you have a 1984-89 model year vehicle, please check the CARS Vehicle Eligibility Guide to determine whether your vehicle meets the eligibility requirements.

Yaris Hybrid?

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:12:22 +0000

Toyota announced that it currently has no plans to make a Yaris hybrid, stating that the hybrid system would be difficult to place in smaller cars and that since Yaris is already fuel-efficient, any gain would be indifferent.

This statement has initial reports that the Yaris hybrid would begin production in France and in Japan and would go on sale within two years. Toyota clarifies that it plans to have a hybrid option available in every model by 2020, but the efficiency of small engines means a full Prius-style hybrid system is unlikely to feature in small cars like the Yaris anytime soon. While Toyota is on course to sell one million hybrids worldwide within the next few years, Yaris, along with other small cars, wouldn’t get its hybrid version any time soon. It will probably be when when battery efficiency increases. Stop-start technology is already available in the Yaris. Toyota confirmed earlier this month that the Auris hybrid will be built in the UK, with production starting in 2010.

Toyota and Honda Face-off

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:36:37 +0000

Competition between Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co. in the hybrid vehicle market is intensifying, with Honda hoping to gnaw away at the dominance of Toyota’s Prius by launching new hybrid models.

The fierce competition between the two leading Japanese automakers may lead to lower hybrid prices, which means more hyrbids out on the road.

The latest version of the Prius is so popular that would-be owners who place orders now must wait until mid-March 2010 at the earliest for delivery.

Hybrid vehicles make up more than half of Honda’s sales volume. Thanks to tax breaks and other government incentives, hybrids have become mainstream vehicles faster than expected.

Using genuine Toyota parts , the Toyota hybrids powered by Toyota Camry Parts and Prius Parts are built stronger, and are made to last. I think they will always have the upper-hand against Honda

2010 Prius news