Meet the Prius-V, the newly revealed addition to the now growing Toyota Prius-Family. With 50% more cargo room and a newly designed attitude, the Prius-V is an entirely new vehicle, bred from the Third Generation Prius, and it marks the start of a new era. No longer will the modern family have to invest in a fuel hungry gas guzzler. With the extra cargo and seating available in this upgraded Prius, families can sit comfortable and know that their vehicle will help the environment.

With the new addition of the Prius-V comes an upgraded interior, but houses the same Prius Synergy Drive and Toyota Parts that the current models have. Because the engineers at Toyota Motors Corp. worked tirelessly to ensure the same proportions as the 3rd Generation Prius, but increase the capacity, the Prius-V boasts an estimated 40 mpg. The “V” has received a redesigned aerodynamic exterior to reduce the drag coefficient to approx. .29.

According to the news release, “Comfortable interior space and good visibility has been assisted by a high seating position, ample head room, and an impressive 38-inch couple distance, providing generous rear legroom.  A low, wide-opening rear hatch reveals 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, making it the most spacious dedicated hybrid vehicle on the market and better than some compact SUVs.”

Another first in the Toyota family is the addition of a Panoramic roof display: put in place to provide an unprecedented view from the comfort of your eco-friendly vehicle.

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Toyota Entune will be available on select Toyota vehicles this year, and will supply consumers with all types of media without the distraction of a cellphone.

On today’s mobile phones, consumers are constantly distracted with content. Personalised radio, online search engines, and mobile applications supply entertainment seamlessly through the phone. Unfortunately, however, the medium through which the content passes distracts someone driving a vehicle. Because of the technological advances Toyota has made over the last couple years, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Toyota unveiled their Entune software.

The software, specially designed to pair a users cell phone and Entune optimised Toyota vehicle, allows drivers to safely and easily enjoy their favourite media. Whether you want to access your Pandora online radio stations, make a voice recognition driven search, or check when your favourite movie shows, Entune can give it to you. Basically, if you have a Bluetooth enabled phone that supports apps, you can now enjoy those through your Toyota vehicle.

Apps that will be available on Entune when it launches:

1. Bing
2. iheartradio
3. MovieTickets.com
4. OpenTable.com
5. Pandora
6. “location-based services, such as personalized traffic, fuel prices, stocks, weather, and sports”
7. Talk To Speech for sending and receiving text messages
8. XM radio
9. HD Radio
10. CD player
11. USB connectivity
12. Bluetooth streaming
13. Phonebooks

When the software and Entune vehicles are released to the public, all consumers will have to do is download the app through the Android Market, the Apple App Store, or other application repository, and then link the phone to his/her vehicle. Entune will only be available on Toyota vehicles, and can be expected on select models this sales year.

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One of the main goals of the Toyota MPV to be announced: more space for cargo or passengers.

It has been rumoured for months, and followers of Toyota have been gaining interest in it’s release. January 10th will be the day everyone finds out what Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. has been working on, it’s new addition to the Prius family. In former teases, billboards, and sneak peaks, consumers and fans around the globe have been shown little bits and pieces of the vehicle, but before the Detroit Auto show this January, there has not been an official unveiling of the rumoured Toyota Prius MPV. Will it be a more mini-van styled build, or will Toyota follow it’s ideas of smaller, more efficient and city-worthy vehicles? That, fellow Toyota followers, is the question.

There have been several aspects that the MPV will follow and multiple expectations it will aim to meet. While the Prius has been the most successful hybrid vehicle to date, selling 10,224 models in November alone. It has ruled the streets when it comes to clean, efficient, and “green” vehicles, but the size of the mid-sized sedan some would say has hindered it’s potential. While it is extremely successful in single parent families and couples with one or two children, the soccer mom’s or big-load-haulers sometimes struggle to find enough room in the 3rd Generation Prius. Engineers at Toyota have squeezed as much space as they possibly can without compromising the efficiency and the idea that the Prius represents, but they can only do so much with current Toyota OEM parts. This is where the Toyota MPV comes in. Described and teased as a larger, more mini-van sized vehicle, the new addition to the Prius family will appeal to that crowd.

With the estimated 50% capacity increase announced by Toyota, the MPV aims to give people with more cargo needs, like Bob Burnquist, who shot a tease for the upcoming vehicle, a green, super-efficient, and effective vehicle for his/her lifestyle. Not only will it use genuine Toyota parts, but also the Toyota MPV to be revealed will give that many more options to Toyota customers.

The Tease video shot by Bob Burnquist in regards to the Toyota MPV to be revealed:

Things to watch for at the Detroit Auto Show…

1. Obviously the Toyota MPV. Expect a larger Prius alternative with more cargo and seating available.
2. The Prius-family concept expected and said by TMS to be revealed. This will most likely be a plug-in version of the Prius that runs either entirely on electricity or incorporates a hybrid drive like the current Prius.
3. Finally, watch out for any new and surprising concepts. While Toyota usually teases their revealed concepts and vehicles, they are also known to unveil brand new vehicles that haven’t even been rumoured.
4. While the focus is mostly on the Prius Family at this year’s Detroit Auto show, don’t forget the Scion brand. Last year, there were some very interesting concepts unveiled, and this year will probably be no different.

To find live updates, previews, and more information about the Detroit Auto show starting January 10th, visit the North American International Auto Show web site found HERE or visit the Toyota Newsroom found HERE for Toyota-specific information regarding the show.

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“Toyota is pleased to have resolved these legacy issues related to the timeliness of prior recalls dating back to 2005. All 30,000 of our U.S. team members, and the tens of thousands of Americans at dealers and suppliers across the country, have worked very hard over the past year to put these issues behind us and set a new standard of responsiveness to our customers. These agreements are an opportunity to turn the page to an even more constructive relationship with NHTSA and focus even more on listening to our customers and meeting their high expectations for safe and reliable vehicles.

“As we have demonstrated in recent months, our North American operations now have a greater voice in making safety decisions, and we are taking appropriate action whenever any issues emerge. We’ve substantially strengthened our ability to investigate customer concerns through our rapid-response SMART evaluation process and other measures. And, we are continuing to equip our vehicles with advanced features, including our Star Safety System and Smart Stop Technology, both of which are standard on all new models sold in the U.S.

“We are grateful to Toyota drivers for their confidence in the quality and reliability of our vehicles, as reflected in our position as America’s leading retail auto brand. In keeping with the values that have always defined Toyota, we will always put our customers first in everything that we do.”

To see the post where this information was found, click on the link HERE. Hopefully these new policy changes and challenges Toyota is facing will help improve the quality of the Toyota Parts you know and love.

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Observed by Toyota’s quality assurance programs, “The stop lamp switch bracket could, in limited circumstances, be deformed by the driver’s foot during parking brake operation.” So, in essence, the bracket could become bent, turn the brake light on, and keep it on, making it difficult to operate safely.

According to the press release on Toyota’s online pressroom,

“Owners of the involved vehicles will receive an interim notification advising them of this recall by first class mail beginning in mid-January 2011, along with instructions for what to do if they experience this condition and how to minimise the possibility of inadvertently contacting the stop lamp switch bracket while operating the parking brake.  Toyota will also post this information on its website.”\

Anyone struggling with this issue is strongly recommended by Toyota Motor Corp. to make an appointment with their local Toyota Dealership to make a permanent fix to this little but serious problem. While such recalls are always something to be wary about, one must realise that it is these types of recalls that prevent issues from growing into situations that put customers and citizens at risk.

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331, as well as your local Kansas City Toyota Dealership.

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Entitled “SnapTag”, Toyota has launched an incredibly revolutionary image recognition tag that it will employ on most models customers see at the showroom floors. All one has to do is point and shoot their smartphone camera at the tag, and they can bring up information on pricing, features, deals, and much much more. What is really special about what they presented at the LA auto show, however, is how these tags worked with the exhibits around them. When someone “tagged” something on say, a RAV4 EV. Then, the phone would send that data to a server, and in effect, activate an interactive side-kiosk giving more information in a more interactive way. This image recognition software has never before been implemented in such a way, ant Toyota is proud of this remarkable achievement.

The blog “MobileMarketingWatch” reported on this specific event, and they grabbed an interview from a Toyota representative. “We’re constantly exploring innovative ways for Toyota customers to access vehicle information at their leisure,” said Michael K. Nelson, interactive communications marketing manager at Toyota. ”SnapTags allow us to conveniently and effectively direct leads to dealerships, drive traffic to the Toyota mobile site and provide ebrochures and additional information to consumers directly on their mobile devices.”

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Toyota has been and currently is one of the most eco-minded automotive manufacturers in the world, and on a recent plan posted on their online newsroom, Toyota Motors Corp. outlined plans to develop more fuel efficient vehicles, ranging from full on Electric to Plug in hybrids, and advance the current technologies with second-generation batteries. Because they aim to create a cleaner and more Earth friendly vehicle, these technologies and business patterns are essential in Toyota’s future plans.

The big news on this particular news release comes from the vehicles they are confirming. They will, in the near future, develop “11 [Hybrid] models by the end of 2012, consisting of all-new models and redesigned models. Of the planned new models, one is a compact with fuel efficiency in excess of 40 km/L under the 10-15 Japanese test cycle.” Also announced was “Prius’-based PHV [Plug in Hybrid Vehicle], mainly in Japan, the United States and Europe,” for the U.S. and the rest of the world an iQ variant along with the EV RAV4, and, here’s the kicker, a hydrogen fuel-cell powered “sedan-type” automobile that is projected to hit showrooms by 2015! The costs of said vehicles are projected to range from about 3,000,000 YEN (35673.72 USD) for the EV’s and plug in hybrids, to less than 10,000,000 YEN (118912 USD) for a hydrogen powered vehicle. In regards to the Hydrogen vehicle pricing, Toyota said that “Although currently a price under 10 million yen seems attainable, TMC aims to further reduce costs to bring the vehicle to market at a more-affordable price.”

That was not all, however. The second big hit of this report was the development of second generation batteries for Toyota vehicles, no doubt to be developed with the help of newly acquainted-with Tesla Motors, that will help both lower the cost and increase the efficiency of electric vehicles and hybrid drive trains powered by Toyota Parts. According to their article,

“Such research is aimed to help bring about the revolutionary advances in battery performance that will be necessary for the broad adoption of electric-motor-propelled eco-cars.

• Solid-state batteries: TMC has successfully reduced what is known as particle resistance and has made progress toward creating full solid-state batteries in a promising compact package.

• Metal-air batteries: TMC has determined the reaction mechanism of lithium-air batteries and has clarified its research policy regarding the batteries as rechargeable secondary batteries.”

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The Toyota Tesla RAV4 EV, presented at this years LA auto show, runs on Lithium metal oxide batteries and has a reported range of 100 miles.

Here it is, what you’ve all been waiting for… the RAV4 EV!!!! Officially presented on the 17th of this month by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. president Jim Lentz, this brainchild of Toyota and Tesla Motors is part of a  ”demonstration and evaluation program through 2011, aiming at market arrival of a fully-engineered vehicle in 2012″ [quoted from the press release found HERE]. To the casual observer, the RAV4 EV obviously follows a completely different style from it’s predecessors, but the real magic is what’s under the hood.

They naturally started with the battery. Inside the RAV4 EV is an array using a “lithium metal oxide battery with usable output rated in the mid-30 kwh range.” While this tech does up the overall weight of the vehicle by nearly 220 lbs, Toyota has compensated by reworking the power-train, suspension system, and steering mechanisms, and “major components needed to be relocated to better balance the increased mass of the battery pack.” According to the announcement, the demonstration vehicle they presented can accelerate from 0-60 nearly as fast as the current RAV4 in production.

The body of the RAV4 underwent significant changes as well. With the “front bumper, grille, fog lamps and head lamps” all redesigned. in the press release, Toyota said that the “new EV badging and the custom “mutually exclusive” paint color, completed the transformation.  The interior received custom seat trim, multimedia dash displays, push-button shifter and dashboard meters.  The RAV4 platform brings a 73-cubic-foot cargo area with rear seats folded down – no cargo space was lost in the conversion to an electric powertrain.”

When Toyota set out to build this masterpiece, they started with what they already had. Why fix something that already works, right? With Tesla providing the batteries the company is so widely know for and Toyota providing it’s already existing Toyota Parts to the RAV4 EV build, the two companies were able to work up a plan of action to get vehicles like this, with a claimed range of 100 miles on real road patterns, onto showroom floors by 2012. According to the presentation, there will be a total of 35 different models, makes, and versions of Tesla-Toyota vehicles presented at various auto shows around the world to gauge the public opinion, preferences, and drivability of the products when it comes to EV’s.  While the company did not mention if those 35 test vehicles would all end up in production, which is unlikely, they did guarantee one EV by 2012.

No related posts.

“TORRANCE, Calif., November 10, 2010 — Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) will debut the Toyota RAV4 EV during the Los Angeles Auto Show media days, on November 17 at 2:50 PM at the Toyota booth in South Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer, TMS, will speak at the news conference.  Greg Bernas, chief engineer, Toyota Technical Center, and Shigeki Terashi, president, Toyota Technical Center, also will be in attendance.”

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The Galapagos Islands are known as some of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems on Earth, so they are the perfect site for an environmentally focused program like the Toyota International Teacher Program.

For what is now 11 years, Toyota has funded and ran the Toyota International Teachers Program through sales of their many Toyota Parts and Accessories. Over those monumental 11 years, the program has sent 164 teachers to the Costa Rica and Galapagos Islands regions with the goal of forming bonds, exchanging information and teaching philosophies, and using the influence of a teacher to better the environment we live in. This year, the Toyota International Teachers Program will send an already selected 24 teachers from 22 states to the Galapagos Islands. While there, those involved will travel the area, meeting and collaborating with natives of that area, learning from their experiences. They will according to the press release on Toyota’s website, talk about “key environmental topics throughout the program, providing the scientific background and global connections teachers need to connect learnings acquired in Galapagos with the environmental challenges in their communities and around the world”

This program, as mentioned, isn’t really anything new to the world. In the past, teachers have been sent on trips around the world, from Japan to Costa Rica, in order to solve some of the most prevalent problems of the environmental communities. While on the trip, teachers will set up “virtual classrooms through the Toyota4Education.com wiki. Facilitating distance learning, the social media tool enables teachers to communicate their experiences in real time with their schools and communities. Educators will blog about their Galapagos experiences, post photos and lesson plans and correspond with their students”

Teachers who wanted to become involved in this program began the application progress a long while back. They first had to submit an application, proving that they 1. Were a valid U.S. citizen, 2. Had at least 3-years of teaching experience, and 3. “Employed full-time as a secondary classroom teacher or teacher-librarian (grades 6-12).” Once these conditions were met, teachers were evaluated by the competitive process conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE), to determine if they were going to be the right people to be included in this program.

The Toyota International Teachers Program is one of 3 similar programs in the world funded my a major corporation.

Quotes included in this story were taken from the news release on Toyota.com, found HERE.

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