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Green Car Congress
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Wednesday, Nov 19
Toyota Shows Concept CNG Camry Hybrid at LA Auto Show
The CNG Camry Hybrid. Click to enlarge. The CNG Camry Hybrid retains the 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine with Hybrid Synergy Drive. The concept delivers net (all power sources) 170 hp (127 kW); the production Camry Hybrid delivers net 187 hp (139 kW).
Toyota Auris to Offer New 1.33L Dual VVT-i with Stop&Start
Toyota Optimal Drive 1.33-liter Dual VVT-i gasoline engine with Stop&Start. Click to enlarge. All new Toyota models will benefit from Toyota Optimal Drive, with new iQ, Avensis and Auris 1.33 Stop&Start as the first instances.
Monday, Nov 3
Two Southeast Utilities Partner on Plug-In Hybrid Smart Charging Trial
Advanced Energy, in partnership with utilities Duke Energy and Progress Energy, will initiate a smart charging trial of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Twelve converted Toyota Priuses will be equipped with charging management technology from Seattle-based V2Green (ear...
Sunday, Oct 12
iQ Sales Launch with 1.0L Gasoline and 1.4L Diesel; New 1.33L Gasoline Engine with Stop/Start Due in 2009
Toyota expects yearly iQ sales to be around 80,000 units in Europe. Toyota’s new iQ city car (earlier post) is now on sale in Europe in two trim levels (iQ and iQ2), with first deliveries in January. At launch, the iQ range offers two engines: a 1.0-liter VVT-i gasoline engine and a...
Wednesday, Aug 1
Honda To Sell Civic Hybrid In China This Year
Nikkei. Honda Motor will sell its hybrid Civic in China before the end of the year, becoming the second automaker after Toyota Motor Corp. to offer a hybrid car in China. The goal is annual sales of 500-1,000 units. Nikkei. Honda Motor will sell its hybrid Civic in China before the end of the year,...
Tuesday, Jul 31
Toyota to Offer Lower-Priced, New Standard Prius for 2008, Cuts Price on Camry Hybrid
Toyota announced that it will offer a new lower-priced standard Prius with the 2008 lineup. Toyota has also lowered Camry Hybrid’s base MSRP to $25,200, a decrease of $1,000 (-3.8%) versus the 2007 model. Both the 2008 Camry and Camry Hybrid will begin arriving in dealerships later this mon...
Thursday, Jul 26
Avis Adding 500 Altima Hybrids to US Rental Fleet
The Nissan Altima Hybrid will be available at Avis locations throughout California. The Toyota Prius is available at locations in California, Portland, Ore., Seattle and Washington, D.C. The Toyota Prius hybrid will also be available in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York City and Philade...
Wednesday, Jul 25
Toyota to Provide PHEVs to Two UC Campuses
Toyota Motor Sales, USA will provide Toyota plug-in (PHEV) hybrid prototypes (earlier post) to the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), as part of...
Toyota Announces Development of Plug-In Hybrid; First Manufacturer to Have PHEV Certified for Public Road Use in Japan
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced that it has developed a plug-in hybrid vehicle and become the first manufacturer to have such a vehicle certified for use on public roads in Japan. (Earlier post.) In its press release, Toyota said that:
Wednesday, Jul 18
Toyota to Obtain Permission for Public Road Test for Plug-in Prius in Japan
translation by Futoshi SATO) Asahi.com’s rendering of the plug-in. Asahi.com. Toyota Motor Co. will obtain permission from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by the end of July for the testing of a prototype plug-in Prius on public roads. Toyota will be the...
Tuesday, Jul 17
Toyota Hybrid Race Car Wins Tokachi 24-Hour Race; In-Wheel Motors and Supercapacitors
In 2006, Toyota was the first car manufacturer to enter a hybrid vehicle into the Tokachi 24-Hour race—a Lexus GS450h which finished 17th overall. By entering hybrid systems into racing events, Toyota engineers hope to discover ways to make hybrid systems more efficient and lighter. The...
Monday, Jul 2
Toyota Launches Redesigned Minivans in Japan; First Application of the New Valvematic System
Toyota is targeting monthly sales of 5,000 units for each model in Japan. The Voxy ZS. Toyota has launched the completely redesigned Voxy and Noah minivans in Japan. The second-generation models mark the first applications of a newly developed 2.0-liter engine (3ZR-FAE) using the Valvema...
Friday, Jun 29
Toyota Down On Plug-In Conversions
Toyota also expressed a specific concern over converted PHEVs being out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), noting that after-market converters do not perform crash testing to certify that the converted vehicle meets or exceeds FMVSS.
Saturday, Jun 23
Report: Toyota to Launch New, Larger Dedicated Hybrid in 2009
The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to release a new dedicated hybrid car by 2009, with an initial sales target of 100,000 units annually worldwide. It will be the Toyota’s second such hybrid-only vehicle after the Prius.
Wednesday, Jun 13
Report: Toyota Will Delay Use of Li-Ion in the Prius
WSJ. The Wall Street Journal reports that Toyota Motor has decided to postpone using lithium-ion battery technology in the initial versions of its next generation Prius due to worries over the safety of the li-ion technology. Toyota has been working with li-ion batteries from Panasonic...
Tuesday, Jun 12
Toyota Announces New Intake Valve Lift and Timing System
Toyota Motor has announced its new variable valve lift mechanism, which it calls Valvematic. Valvematic combines the existing VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent), which continuously controls intake valve opening/closing timing, with a new mechanism that continuously con...
Thursday, Jun 7
Global Cumulative Toyota Hybrid Sales Pass 1 Million Mark
Toyota launched the Harrier Hybrid (RX400h) and Kluger Hybrid (Highlander Hybrid) in 2005. The following year saw the introduction of the GS450h, the Camry Hybrid and a redesign of the Estima Hybrid. Prius sales topped the 500,000 mark. In May 2007, Toyota launched the luxury LS600h / LS60...
Friday, Jun 1
Toyota More Than Doubles US Sales of Hybrids in May
The Prius posted 24,009 units sold—the model’s highest monthly sales yet and almost triple the figure from May 2006. This represents 66.5% of all Toyota hybrids sold in the month. The Camry Hybrid also set a sales record of 6,853 units in May, up 126% from May 2006. The Camry Hybrid has been on th...
Thursday, May 10
Reports: Toyota’s Prius Line to Expand, Cost Differences to Disappear
The Prius A will be Yaris-sized, the Prius B will be slightly larger than the current Prius, and the Prius C—said to be similar, yet roomier and taller than Toyota’s recent Hybrid X concept car (earlier post)—would be slightly smaller than the current Camry.
Wednesday, May 9
BMW Twin Turbo Takes International Engine of Year Award; Toyota Wins Best Fuel Economy Category
Toyota meanwhile saw its 1.5-liter hybrid that powers the Prius named Best Fuel Economy engine and its 1-liter 3-cylinder from the Aygo and Yaris take the honors in the Sub 1-liter category. (Earlier post.) International Engine of the Year Awards 2007: WinnersCategoryEngineBest New Eng...
Tuesday, Apr 3
Toyota’s US Sales of Prius and Camry Hybrids Soared in March
Toyota’s calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales in the US totaled 61,635 units, an increase of 68% over the same period last year. Toyota’s hybrid sales. Click to enlarge. Although March is shaping up as a good month for hybrid sales with a record 31,652 units sold just by Toyota and Honda (data...
UCS Releases Biennial Ranking of Greenest Automakers; Honda Edges Out Toyota to Keep Top Spot
Honda and Toyota had better-than-average global warming scores in every class in which they competed. Despite producing pickup trucks and large SUVs, Toyota’s use of emissions-cutting technology across its entire fleet helped it to pull up just behind Honda, which did not compete in t...
Tuesday, Mar 6
Toyota Unveils Hybrid X in Geneva
Toyota has sold close to 900,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, with more than 650,000 of them Prius units. European sales of the Prius have topped 50,000. Hybrid-X derives its name from the X-like shape created by the glass frame area. Click to enlarge. Toyota used the Geneva Motor Show to revea...
Tuesday, Feb 27
Toyota To Build SUV Plant in Mississippi
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK), in Georgetown produces the Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Camry Solara. Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI), in Princeton produces the Tundra, Sequoia, and Sienna.
Monday, Feb 12
The Lexus GS 450h Hybrid System
The hybrid system in the GS 450h takes a step further, and uses a two-stage motor speed reduction device. Specifically developed for rear-wheel drive systems, the Toyota Hybrid System II with Two-Stage Motor Speed Reduction Device utilizes the motor’s high-efficiency region over a wi...
Wednesday, Feb 7
Toyota Introduces 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid
Toyota unveiled the all-new next-generation 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid mid-size sport utility vehicles (SUV) at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. In 2006, Toyota sold more than 170,000 units of the Highlander Hybrid, Camry Hybrid and Prius combined. Of that total, the Highlander...
