Posts Tagged toyota

Porsche Lays Out Its All-Hybrid-Vehicle Future

Posted by Benji Jerew in Hybrid vehicles on May 15, 2013

While some automakers have been content to offer just a couple of hybrid vehicles, Porsche is planning something a whole lot more intensive. Subaru, for example, has only just gotten into hybrid vehicle technology, which is kind of surprising considering Subaru’s link to all things outdoors. Still it’s a start, but other companies like Toyota, [...]

Toyota FCV-R Hydrogen Fuel Cell Concept Set for Production in 2015

Posted by Benji Jerew in Hydrogen Power on May 7, 2013

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles haven’t seen a whole lot of the limelight in recent times, in part because the technology is wildly expensive, not only for the infrastructure, but the vehicles themselves. Still, imagine a vehicle that has zero emissions [tailpipe anyway] like an electric vehicle, but can refuel in about the same amount of [...]

Toyota Hybrid Vehicles Selling Better Than Plug-Ins in the UK

Posted by Benji Jerew in Car industry, Hybrid vehicles on April 29, 2013

As automakers strive to decrease emissions, thousands of hybrid vehicles are making their way into people’s garages. Hybrid vehicles aren’t the only choice in low-emissions, low-fuel-consumption vehicles. Drivers can also choose plug-in hybrid vehicles or pure electric vehicles. Apparently these other choices haven’t been all that popular, in spite of the fuel savings and emissions [...]

Toyota Yueija: China’s Newest Hybrid Vehicle That Won’t Be Called “Prius”

Posted by Benji Jerew in Hybrid vehicles on April 25, 2013

China is the world’s fastest-growing automobile market, and Toyota’s new hybrid is aiming right for the hearts of younger buyers. The new elite in China, young buyers in their late 20s to early 30s, probably won’t find the decidedly placid Toyota Prius to their liking. On the other hand, something with world-class hybrid vehicle technology, [...]

Toyota’s Next-Gen LiO2 Battery Five Times Better Than Li-Ion

Posted by Benji Jerew in Energy Storage on March 13, 2013

Nickel-metal hydride [NiMH] and lithium-ion [Li-ion] batteries have their advantages, but Toyota’s next-generation solid state and LiO2 battery technology could be set to overtake them. Toyota doesn’t really have much of a penchant for Li-ion battery technology, instead trusting its NiMH battery technology developed in-house. True, the Toyota RAV4 EV uses Li-ion, but the entire [...]

Toyota to Pay $1.1bln Settlement for Stuck Accelerator Lawsuit

Posted by Benji Jerew in Car industry, Green Policy on February 26, 2013

In my mind, one thing that sets apart Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company from other automakers is their attention to detail and the general reliability of their products. As a Toyota Expert, Lexus Senior, and ASE Master certified technician for over ten years, I have personally maintained Toyota vehicles with over 500,000 miles on the clock. [...]

Toyota Avalon Hybrid – 40MPG Luxury

Posted by Benji Jerew in Car industry, Hybrid vehicles on February 12, 2013

For the most part, the bigger the vehicle gets, the more you’ll have to pay for it and the less fuel-efficient it is. Similarly, the more luxurious a vehicle is, the more you’ll have to pay for it and the less fuel-efficient it is. The problem isn’t size, but perception. A luxury vehicle shouldn’t feel [...]

Toyota Recycles Hybrid Batteries for Micro-Grid Applications

Posted by Benji Jerew in Energy Storage, Hybrid vehicles on February 7, 2013

The power grid, for the most part, wasn’t designed with too many fail-safes, and the aging infrastructure shows this weakness every time there is a storm or excessive demand. Blackouts and brownouts, though, can be at least minimized or mitigated with the addition of smart-grid technology. By combining smart switching and backup power supplies, even [...]

Toyota i-ROAD Concept Sneak Blink – Geneva Motor Show

Posted by Benji Jerew in Electric Vehicles on February 4, 2013

Toyota’s always played its concept cards pretty close to the chest, and this year’s entries at the Geneva Motor Show are no different, especially the world-premiere of the i-ROAD. Toyota innovation doesn’t always look pretty, but giving its engineers a playground, to test even the whackiest ideas, sometimes leads to new vehicles and features that [...]

Toyota Leases Four Hydrogen Cars to NREL

Posted by Leigh Kim in Hydrogen Power on January 31, 2013

Automobile manufacturer, Toyota, has recently given the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) four fuel cell hybrid vehicles. The hybrids, advanced FCHV-adv models, are on loan by Toyota through a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. NREL plans to use the cars to advance its hydrogen fueling infrastructure, vehicle performance, and renewable [...]

Toyota Licenses Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology to BMW

Posted by Benji Jerew in Car industry, Hydrogen Power on January 24, 2013

Hydrogen fuel cells [HFC], which convert pure hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity, is nothing new. As a matter of fact, the technology exists as far back as the late 1930s. Fuel cell technology was also used to generate electricity on the NASA Space Shuttle program until it was dismantled last year. While being [...]

Toyota’s Next-Generation Magnesium Battery Technology

Posted by Benji Jerew in Energy Storage on November 29, 2012

Thousands of electric vehicles [EV] have been sold in the US, all with the same problem, range and expense. True, current battery technology, lithium-ion [Li-ion] has come leaps and bounds past its predecessors, nickel-metal hydride [NiMH] and nickel-cadmium [NiCad] and even lead-acid. Each step in battery technology increased the capacity and reduced weight. Still, current [...]

Toyota Dealers Prefer Selling Hybrids over EVs

Posted by Benji Jerew in Car industry, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid vehicles on October 16, 2012

Electric vehicles [EV] have a lot going for them, most notably minimal fuel costs and minimal carbon-dioxide emissions. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to hitting the mainstream for apprehensions regarding range, recharge time, and up-front expenses. The last place we would expect to find apprehension is the dealership, but unlike EV-only dealers, it seems that conventional [...]

Toyota’s new all-solid-state battery: the power of ‘green vehicles’

Posted by Mila Luleva in Energy Storage on September 27, 2012

Environmentally friendly driving, fuel efficiency, electric vehicles- all topics that have been a subject of major debate in recent years, and yet only a limited few manufacturers have the courage to pursue ground-breaking developments. Toyota Motor Corp, one of the leading producers of ‘green vehicles’, might just hold the solution. At a meeting held on September 24th, [...]

Toyota’s Planning for a Greener Future

Posted by Benji Jerew in Car industry, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid vehicles, Hydrogen Power on September 25, 2012

Toyota Motor Corporation, building on its success with global class-leading hybrid technology in the Prius lineup, eventually used that technology to convert other Toyota and Lexus models to Hybrid Synergy Drive. Today, Toyota Hybrid Electric Vehicles [HEV] are the most driven and recognized on the road. In keeping with its class-leading fuel economy and putting [...]