Archive for October, 2008
Top Gear – Toyota Aygo car football – BBC
BBCWorldwide asked:
Toyota Aygo car football. Watch this fast, rough driving game in this clip from BBC’s Top Gear.
GM Incentive Program
Jim Harris asked:
HONDA AND TOYOTA OFFERED U.S. CONSUMERS THE HIGHEST average fuel efficiency of 2007 model year vehicles, the government reported Wednesday. The average fuel economy for 2007 vehicles was 20.2 miles per gallon, the same as 2006 vehicles, the Environmental Protection Agency said in an annual report that used new testing procedures. For individual vehicles, the test results are included on window stickers in dealer lots. The agency said the overall results marked an increase compared with 2004 vehicles, which averaged 19.3 mpg.
Honda Motor Co. had the highest fuel economy of any manufacturer with 22.9 mpg, a slight decrease compared with its 2006 lineup. Toyota Motor Corp. posted a 22.8 mpg average for its 2007 vehicles compared with 22.4 mpg the previous year. Toyota’s average was helped by the gas-electric Prius hybrid, which had the highest combined fuel economy of any passenger car with 46.2 mpg. South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co., which includes Kia vehicles, improved to 22.7 mpg for 2007 vehicles, followed by Volkswagen AG with 21.4 mpg. Nissan Motor Co. showed the largest gain of any automaker during the past year, improving 0.6 mpg to 20.6 mpg. General Motors Corp. led domestic automakers with 19.4 mpg, followed by Ford Motor Co. with 18.7 mpg. For the third straight year, Ford’s Escape hybrid had the highest fuel efficiency of any light truck with 29.7 mpg.
DaimlerChrysler AG, which recently completed the sale of a controlling stake in Chrysler to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, was the lowest rated with 18.3 mpg, a mark that has been unchanged the past three years. The figures were calculated for the first time based on test methods devised to better reflect driving habits and provide a more realistic estimate. The new tests led to a 6 percent decrease in fuel economy averages compared to past estimates using old testing criteria, the EPA said.
Among vehicle type, passenger cars averaged 23.4 mpg in 2007 — unchanged from 2006. SUVs averaged 18.1 mpg, an increase of 0.3 mpg, and pickups were unchanged at 16.2 mpg. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said the findings were evidence that “automakers are answering
President Bush’s call to improve fuel economy and decrease our nation’s dependency on foreign oil.” But the figures underscored complaints in Congress that the auto industry has failed to rapidly ramp up production of vehicles that can get more miles on a gallon of gas. The Senate approved legislation in June that would require automakers to build more efficient vehicles; the measure is pending in Congress.
With more consumers driving larger vehicles than a generation ago, overall fuel efficiency has made little progress. The current fleet is less efficient than the new vehicles produced in 1981, for example, and well below the peak of 22 mpg in 1987.
HONDA AND TOYOTA OFFERED U.S. CONSUMERS THE HIGHEST average fuel efficiency of 2007 model year vehicles, the government reported Wednesday. The average fuel economy for 2007 vehicles was 20.2 miles per gallon, the same as 2006 vehicles, the Environmental Protection Agency said in an annual report that used new testing procedures. For individual vehicles, the test results are included on window stickers in dealer lots. The agency said the overall results marked an increase compared with 2004 vehicles, which averaged 19.3 mpg.
Honda Motor Co. had the highest fuel economy of any manufacturer with 22.9 mpg, a slight decrease compared with its 2006 lineup. Toyota Motor Corp. posted a 22.8 mpg average for its 2007 vehicles compared with 22.4 mpg the previous year. Toyota’s average was helped by the gas-electric Prius hybrid, which had the highest combined fuel economy of any passenger car with 46.2 mpg. South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co., which includes Kia vehicles, improved to 22.7 mpg for 2007 vehicles, followed by Volkswagen AG with 21.4 mpg. Nissan Motor Co. showed the largest gain of any automaker during the past year, improving 0.6 mpg to 20.6 mpg. General Motors Corp. led domestic automakers with 19.4 mpg, followed by Ford Motor Co. with 18.7 mpg. For the third straight year, Ford’s Escape hybrid had the highest fuel efficiency of any light truck with 29.7 mpg.
DaimlerChrysler AG, which recently completed the sale of a controlling stake in Chrysler to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, was the lowest rated with 18.3 mpg, a mark that has been unchanged the past three years. The figures were calculated for the first time based on test methods devised to better reflect driving habits and provide a more realistic estimate. The new tests led to a 6 percent decrease in fuel economy averages compared to past estimates using old testing criteria, the EPA said.
Among vehicle type, passenger cars averaged 23.4 mpg in 2007 — unchanged from 2006. SUVs averaged 18.1 mpg, an increase of 0.3 mpg, and pickups were unchanged at 16.2 mpg. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said the findings were evidence that “automakers are answering
President Bush’s call to improve fuel economy and decrease our nation’s dependency on foreign oil.” But the figures underscored complaints in Congress that the auto industry has failed to rapidly ramp up production of vehicles that can get more miles on a gallon of gas. The Senate approved legislation in June that would require automakers to build more efficient vehicles; the measure is pending in Congress.
With more consumers driving larger vehicles than a generation ago, overall fuel efficiency has made little progress. The current fleet is less efficient than the new vehicles produced in 1981, for example, and well below the peak of 22 mpg in 1987.
Schumacher Confident of Toyota’s Resurgence
Lauren Woods asked:
With nine races already in the book in the current Formula One season, Toyota is showing signs of resurgence. Early in the season, the Japanese Formula One team made a statement saying that they will be aiming to overtake third place BMW Sauber in the constructors’ championship standing before the end of the season.
The first half of the season though for the Japanese team was disappointing. Ralf Schumacher, one of the drivers for the team, has performed poorly as his car does not match his driving style.
During the last two races though, the German Formula One driver showed signs of a good performance. At the French Grand Prix, Schumacher qualified for the eleventh spot. After the race, the German finished in tenth place.
Then at the British Grand Prix, Schumacher had his best qualifying session this season as he posted the sixth fastest lap time which means he would be starting from the third row. Unfortunately, the German was not able to finish the race as his car with its Toyota engine designed to provide much more power than a conventional engine with a Toyota cold air intake suffered a malfunction.
“I retired just after one-third distance,” said Schumacher. “I felt the wheel fixation problem as I came into the complex and it was a pity because we were strong all weekend and I was confident of a good result. Our performance level was good all weekend and we really expected to finish strongly. Unfortunately, after qualifying sixth I lost positions at the start but after that I was able to set lap times which competitive with the cars in front. That showed we had the potential to fight for a top-six finish.”
Although he and his teammate Jarno Trulli were not able to finish at the British Grand Prix, Schumacher is still elated with the progress that they are making. “It’s simply that under certain circumstances our car is very competitive,” he said. “We have seen it in Barcelona and we looked good in terms of pace in Magny-Cours too, but we had problems so we didn’t get the results we wanted. We just need to extend that window a bit. I was happy for the team because they are really working hard and deserved to see an improvement. I have to say that the car has suited me well for the last two Grands Prix.”
The German will be making an appearance in front of his countrymen at the next race of the season which will be held at the Nürburgring in Nurburg, Germany. The European Grand Prix will be the only event on German soil this season.
The aim now for Schumacher is to make the best out of the second half of the season. The German Formula One driver who is rumored to be on the way out after a dismal start to the season is now looking more confident in his car. “Over the last few races I’ve become increasingly comfortable with my set-up and the whole team is working hard as we chase a successful second half of the year,” Schumacher said.
With nine races already in the book in the current Formula One season, Toyota is showing signs of resurgence. Early in the season, the Japanese Formula One team made a statement saying that they will be aiming to overtake third place BMW Sauber in the constructors’ championship standing before the end of the season.
The first half of the season though for the Japanese team was disappointing. Ralf Schumacher, one of the drivers for the team, has performed poorly as his car does not match his driving style.
During the last two races though, the German Formula One driver showed signs of a good performance. At the French Grand Prix, Schumacher qualified for the eleventh spot. After the race, the German finished in tenth place.
Then at the British Grand Prix, Schumacher had his best qualifying session this season as he posted the sixth fastest lap time which means he would be starting from the third row. Unfortunately, the German was not able to finish the race as his car with its Toyota engine designed to provide much more power than a conventional engine with a Toyota cold air intake suffered a malfunction.
“I retired just after one-third distance,” said Schumacher. “I felt the wheel fixation problem as I came into the complex and it was a pity because we were strong all weekend and I was confident of a good result. Our performance level was good all weekend and we really expected to finish strongly. Unfortunately, after qualifying sixth I lost positions at the start but after that I was able to set lap times which competitive with the cars in front. That showed we had the potential to fight for a top-six finish.”
Although he and his teammate Jarno Trulli were not able to finish at the British Grand Prix, Schumacher is still elated with the progress that they are making. “It’s simply that under certain circumstances our car is very competitive,” he said. “We have seen it in Barcelona and we looked good in terms of pace in Magny-Cours too, but we had problems so we didn’t get the results we wanted. We just need to extend that window a bit. I was happy for the team because they are really working hard and deserved to see an improvement. I have to say that the car has suited me well for the last two Grands Prix.”
The German will be making an appearance in front of his countrymen at the next race of the season which will be held at the Nürburgring in Nurburg, Germany. The European Grand Prix will be the only event on German soil this season.
The aim now for Schumacher is to make the best out of the second half of the season. The German Formula One driver who is rumored to be on the way out after a dismal start to the season is now looking more confident in his car. “Over the last few races I’ve become increasingly comfortable with my set-up and the whole team is working hard as we chase a successful second half of the year,” Schumacher said.
Toyota Supra Compilation
sebastrik asked:
A great compilation made by me.. for a great car like TOYOTA SUPRA. SUPRA RLZ!!!
The name of the song is: Vanessa Wind – Ich Lebe (DJ Andy Garcia Short Club Mix)
If you want write me, you can do it sending me a e-mail at this direction:
sebastrik@hotmail.com
April Auto Sales: Small is Big
Lauren Woods asked:
Oil prices are rising and sales of small sport utility vehicles, compact cars and fuel-efficient crossovers rise are increasing as well. The strong sales of small cars, crossovers, minivans and at least one pickup truck were attributed to vivacious promotions and redesigned product lines.
Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 3.7 percent gain in sales for its Lexus, Toyota and Scion vehicles versus April last year. The Japanese automaker’s divisional sales rose 2.3 percent, and Lexus was up 14.1 percent in April. Toyota Prius, the hybrid gas/electric car of the automaker benefited from incentives last month. As such, the car accounted for 71.8 percent sales increase, making April its best-ever month. Toyota’s smallest car, Yaris, a subcompact launched in 2006, accounted for 7,232 units sold last month.
Honda Fit, a subcompact car, accounted for sales of 3,958 units in April. The car, which went on sale last April, has had a remarkable five months of sales gains. The redesigned CR-V compact SUV of the Japanese automakers sold 17,379 units, up 39.4 percent compared to April last year. The Civic increased a percentage as well. Honda Division year-to-date sales were up 3.4 percent, with 421,773 units sold.
Toyota light truck sales were pushed a little further by the RAV4 compact SUV, whose 14,495 sales mirrored a 13.3 percent increase compared to same period last year. Meanwhile, the redesigned Tundra pickup is trumping its predecessor with April sales of 14,200, a gain of 74.1 percent.
Among Detroit automakers, Ford saw sales down 13 percent for the month, although the new Edge crossover and Ford’s trio of mid-sized cars–Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ–are selling strongly. Ford sold 9,134 Edge’s and 2,901 of its sibling Lincoln MKX. Sales of Ford’s Fusion car rose 22 percent year-to-date, although sales dipped in April.
DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group sales increased two percent compared to April 2006 with 190,095 vehicles sold and sales driven by Jeep Wrangler, the new Jeep Patriot, which accounted for 10,776 and 2,904 units, respectively. The Wrangler posted a 75 percent gain versus April last year. Last month, Chrysler ran a promotion for its Town and Country and Caravan minivans, which increased sales of the vehicles by 24 percent, per the company.
April sales for Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. decreased 11.1 percent last month, with Nissan sales off fourteen percent, while Infiniti, its luxury division, saw sales increase twelve percent. Hyundai Motor America sales were down 4.6 percent from record sales last April.
Volkswagen of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, announced 19,086 vehicle sales in April. The number represents a decline of seven percent from April 2006 sales of 20,528 vehicles. Volkswagen cold air intake and other auto parts from the automaker may need a little enhancement to ensure that aficionados will grab them. VW Eos, a new hard-top convertible, posted its best month ever with April sales of 1,142 units. The convertible is the world’s first four-seat, hard-top with an integrated glass sunroof.
Among luxury brands, both Audi of America and Mercedes-Benz reported strong sales for the month, giving the automakers record years so far. Audi sold 8,106 units last month, quite a record for April. The figure created a 9.4 percent increase for this year. Sales of Audi are up 15.2 percent over last year’s sales volume.
Mercedes-Benz posted sales of 20,895, which the company said is its second-best April and best-ever year-to-date, with 76,880 new vehicles for 2007, up six percent versus the period last year. Mercedes’ sales were driven by the new C-Class, up over 27 percent compared to last year.
Oil prices are rising and sales of small sport utility vehicles, compact cars and fuel-efficient crossovers rise are increasing as well. The strong sales of small cars, crossovers, minivans and at least one pickup truck were attributed to vivacious promotions and redesigned product lines.
Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 3.7 percent gain in sales for its Lexus, Toyota and Scion vehicles versus April last year. The Japanese automaker’s divisional sales rose 2.3 percent, and Lexus was up 14.1 percent in April. Toyota Prius, the hybrid gas/electric car of the automaker benefited from incentives last month. As such, the car accounted for 71.8 percent sales increase, making April its best-ever month. Toyota’s smallest car, Yaris, a subcompact launched in 2006, accounted for 7,232 units sold last month.
Honda Fit, a subcompact car, accounted for sales of 3,958 units in April. The car, which went on sale last April, has had a remarkable five months of sales gains. The redesigned CR-V compact SUV of the Japanese automakers sold 17,379 units, up 39.4 percent compared to April last year. The Civic increased a percentage as well. Honda Division year-to-date sales were up 3.4 percent, with 421,773 units sold.
Toyota light truck sales were pushed a little further by the RAV4 compact SUV, whose 14,495 sales mirrored a 13.3 percent increase compared to same period last year. Meanwhile, the redesigned Tundra pickup is trumping its predecessor with April sales of 14,200, a gain of 74.1 percent.
Among Detroit automakers, Ford saw sales down 13 percent for the month, although the new Edge crossover and Ford’s trio of mid-sized cars–Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ–are selling strongly. Ford sold 9,134 Edge’s and 2,901 of its sibling Lincoln MKX. Sales of Ford’s Fusion car rose 22 percent year-to-date, although sales dipped in April.
DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group sales increased two percent compared to April 2006 with 190,095 vehicles sold and sales driven by Jeep Wrangler, the new Jeep Patriot, which accounted for 10,776 and 2,904 units, respectively. The Wrangler posted a 75 percent gain versus April last year. Last month, Chrysler ran a promotion for its Town and Country and Caravan minivans, which increased sales of the vehicles by 24 percent, per the company.
April sales for Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. decreased 11.1 percent last month, with Nissan sales off fourteen percent, while Infiniti, its luxury division, saw sales increase twelve percent. Hyundai Motor America sales were down 4.6 percent from record sales last April.
Volkswagen of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, announced 19,086 vehicle sales in April. The number represents a decline of seven percent from April 2006 sales of 20,528 vehicles. Volkswagen cold air intake and other auto parts from the automaker may need a little enhancement to ensure that aficionados will grab them. VW Eos, a new hard-top convertible, posted its best month ever with April sales of 1,142 units. The convertible is the world’s first four-seat, hard-top with an integrated glass sunroof.
Among luxury brands, both Audi of America and Mercedes-Benz reported strong sales for the month, giving the automakers record years so far. Audi sold 8,106 units last month, quite a record for April. The figure created a 9.4 percent increase for this year. Sales of Audi are up 15.2 percent over last year’s sales volume.
Mercedes-Benz posted sales of 20,895, which the company said is its second-best April and best-ever year-to-date, with 76,880 new vehicles for 2007, up six percent versus the period last year. Mercedes’ sales were driven by the new C-Class, up over 27 percent compared to last year.
Chinese Auto Market Grows Fueled by Japanese Automakers
Anthony Fontanelle asked:
The global market for automotive products is growing with the increase in demand for automobiles in Asia. While the United States is still the largest auto market in the world, it is experiencing a slump while the Chinese auto market continues to grow. In a recent study conducted by R.L. Polk & Co., they reported that for the first six months of this year, the Chinese auto market has grown by 26 percent.
Based on that figure, R.L. Polk expects that by the end of this year, there will be 4.7 million passenger vehicles registered just for this year. That figure excludes large vehicles like vans and pick up trucks. Since 2004, the Chinese auto market has been growing by about 20 percent every year according to R.L. Polk.
The increasing demand for automotive vehicles in China is being boosted by the presence of the soon-to-be largest automaker in the world Toyota. The Japanese automaker posted the highest increase in sales in China with 72.6 percent for the first six months this year compared to the same period last year. This increasing sale for Toyota in the Chinese auto market boosts its marketability thus making it easier for Toyota to produce the most number of vehicles by the end of this year compared to any other automaker.
Honda, another Japanese automaker and the highest gainer last month among major automakers in the United States, posted the second highest sales increase in China. Honda sold 40.3 percent more passenger vehicles n China for the first half of 2007 compared to 2006. Nissan, the third largest Japanese automaker, posted the third highest sales increase in the Chinese auto market with a 38.9 percent increase. At this rate, not even an EBC rotor can stop Japanese automakers from boosting their sales.
Number four in terms of sales increase in the Chinese auto market is Chinese automaker Chery. The said automaker sold 27.9 percent more passenger vehicles for the first half of 2007 compared to last year. While most major automakers posted increase in their sales in the Chinese auto market, there are also automakers that saw their sales drop for the first six months of the year. Geely, a Chinese automaker, and Hyundai-Kia, Korean automakers, posted year over year sales reduction from January to June of 2007.
“Overall we are seeing significant changes in these rankings when it comes to Chinese automakers,” said Stephen Polk, the chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer of R.L. Polk. “We expect this aspect of the Chinese automotive segment to continue to fluctuate as these aggressive companies vie with each other and the rest of the world’s automakers for market share within China,” he added.
The study found out that Guangdong province posted the highest increase in registrations for the first half of the year. From January to June this year, there have been 37 percent more new vehicle registrations in the province compared to the first half of 2006. The increase in new vehicle sales in Guangdong accounts for 11 percent of all new vehicle registration in the Asian country.
The global market for automotive products is growing with the increase in demand for automobiles in Asia. While the United States is still the largest auto market in the world, it is experiencing a slump while the Chinese auto market continues to grow. In a recent study conducted by R.L. Polk & Co., they reported that for the first six months of this year, the Chinese auto market has grown by 26 percent.
Based on that figure, R.L. Polk expects that by the end of this year, there will be 4.7 million passenger vehicles registered just for this year. That figure excludes large vehicles like vans and pick up trucks. Since 2004, the Chinese auto market has been growing by about 20 percent every year according to R.L. Polk.
The increasing demand for automotive vehicles in China is being boosted by the presence of the soon-to-be largest automaker in the world Toyota. The Japanese automaker posted the highest increase in sales in China with 72.6 percent for the first six months this year compared to the same period last year. This increasing sale for Toyota in the Chinese auto market boosts its marketability thus making it easier for Toyota to produce the most number of vehicles by the end of this year compared to any other automaker.
Honda, another Japanese automaker and the highest gainer last month among major automakers in the United States, posted the second highest sales increase in China. Honda sold 40.3 percent more passenger vehicles n China for the first half of 2007 compared to 2006. Nissan, the third largest Japanese automaker, posted the third highest sales increase in the Chinese auto market with a 38.9 percent increase. At this rate, not even an EBC rotor can stop Japanese automakers from boosting their sales.
Number four in terms of sales increase in the Chinese auto market is Chinese automaker Chery. The said automaker sold 27.9 percent more passenger vehicles for the first half of 2007 compared to last year. While most major automakers posted increase in their sales in the Chinese auto market, there are also automakers that saw their sales drop for the first six months of the year. Geely, a Chinese automaker, and Hyundai-Kia, Korean automakers, posted year over year sales reduction from January to June of 2007.
“Overall we are seeing significant changes in these rankings when it comes to Chinese automakers,” said Stephen Polk, the chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer of R.L. Polk. “We expect this aspect of the Chinese automotive segment to continue to fluctuate as these aggressive companies vie with each other and the rest of the world’s automakers for market share within China,” he added.
The study found out that Guangdong province posted the highest increase in registrations for the first half of the year. From January to June this year, there have been 37 percent more new vehicle registrations in the province compared to the first half of 2006. The increase in new vehicle sales in Guangdong accounts for 11 percent of all new vehicle registration in the Asian country.
Ever wonder why Toyota/Honda are making great Profits while GM posting the BIGGEST lost?
Samm asked:
I see lots of Toyota/Honda/VW cars had Obama 08/Kerry Edwards Stickers….
I remember Toyota makes cars here in America too.
I see lots of Toyota/Honda/VW cars had Obama 08/Kerry Edwards Stickers….
I remember Toyota makes cars here in America too.
Toyota Camry 1999 ATF flush?
Sujan Dan asked:
I have posted this question here before, but I recently got a different perspective from the Toyota dealer in town, and I wanted to verify. They said that Toyota has a built in filter and so, they do not necessarily recommend doing a full transmission flush all the time. Just draining and refilling the fluid every 15000 miles will suffice. My service station had told me that the fluid had become dark, and the Toyota people said that the Toyota fluid is by nature darker than most transmission fluids. Toyota has a Transmission service for 50 bucks and the full flush at the local mechanics is $125 and Toyota full flush is $160.
Yet, Toyota says that the 50$ ATF change is sufficient.
Any thought comments, suggestions?
I have posted this question here before, but I recently got a different perspective from the Toyota dealer in town, and I wanted to verify. They said that Toyota has a built in filter and so, they do not necessarily recommend doing a full transmission flush all the time. Just draining and refilling the fluid every 15000 miles will suffice. My service station had told me that the fluid had become dark, and the Toyota people said that the Toyota fluid is by nature darker than most transmission fluids. Toyota has a Transmission service for 50 bucks and the full flush at the local mechanics is $125 and Toyota full flush is $160.
Yet, Toyota says that the 50$ ATF change is sufficient.
Any thought comments, suggestions?
Toyota President Sends Out New Year Greetings
Anthony Fontanelle asked:
Japanese automaker Toyota is on track to become the world’s largest automaker this year. The company has been increasing its hold in the very important United States auto market. With the coming of the New Year, Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe outlined their goals for 2008.
He pointed out the fact that the auto industry is going green saying: “The business environment has undergone major changes in the past few years. The biggest of these changes has been the increasing demand for corporate social responsibility as the result of global warming, resource depletion and other environmental issues. Environmental issues are attracting worldwide attention, an example of this being the Toyako Summit to be hosted in Japan during July of this year at which concrete discussions are to be held on the post-Kyoto Protocol framework. In the automobile industry, as well, achieving harmony with society and the earth has become a top-priority issue.”
With that in mind, Watanabe said that they believe that hybrid technology is the way to go forward when it comes to green auto technologies. “Firstly, research and development refers to the pursuit of sustainable mobility, and we believe that it is hybrid technologies that will play a central role in achieving this,” said Watanabe.
“Toyota has made considerable efforts to promote the use of hybrid vehicles since the launch of the Prius in 1997. To date, we have achieved global cumulative sales of 1.25 million hybrid vehicles (as of November 2007). We estimate that the resulting reduction effect in CO2 emissions is 5 million tons. Our current goal is to achieve hybrid vehicle sales of 1 million units annually as soon as possible in the early 2010s, and, beyond that, we are committed to having a hybrid model in all Toyota vehicle series. Furthermore, we are now conducting verification tests of a plug-in hybrid vehicle in Japan, the United States and Europe and as such, are making steady progress toward commercialization,” he added.
Hybrid vehicles of today can become greener if they are equipped with better batteries. Rechargeable batteries which are as reliable Mazda racing parts are being developed now by the automaker. “A critical component of hybrid technology is the battery. In addition to the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the Prius and other hybrid vehicles, we are working steadily toward the development and production of lithium-ion batteries, which offer the advantages of greater energy and output densities. In the area of energy research, we have also begun development of cellulosic ethanol using our specialized biotechnologies,” added Watanabe.
Japanese automaker Toyota is on track to become the world’s largest automaker this year. The company has been increasing its hold in the very important United States auto market. With the coming of the New Year, Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe outlined their goals for 2008.
He pointed out the fact that the auto industry is going green saying: “The business environment has undergone major changes in the past few years. The biggest of these changes has been the increasing demand for corporate social responsibility as the result of global warming, resource depletion and other environmental issues. Environmental issues are attracting worldwide attention, an example of this being the Toyako Summit to be hosted in Japan during July of this year at which concrete discussions are to be held on the post-Kyoto Protocol framework. In the automobile industry, as well, achieving harmony with society and the earth has become a top-priority issue.”
With that in mind, Watanabe said that they believe that hybrid technology is the way to go forward when it comes to green auto technologies. “Firstly, research and development refers to the pursuit of sustainable mobility, and we believe that it is hybrid technologies that will play a central role in achieving this,” said Watanabe.
“Toyota has made considerable efforts to promote the use of hybrid vehicles since the launch of the Prius in 1997. To date, we have achieved global cumulative sales of 1.25 million hybrid vehicles (as of November 2007). We estimate that the resulting reduction effect in CO2 emissions is 5 million tons. Our current goal is to achieve hybrid vehicle sales of 1 million units annually as soon as possible in the early 2010s, and, beyond that, we are committed to having a hybrid model in all Toyota vehicle series. Furthermore, we are now conducting verification tests of a plug-in hybrid vehicle in Japan, the United States and Europe and as such, are making steady progress toward commercialization,” he added.
Hybrid vehicles of today can become greener if they are equipped with better batteries. Rechargeable batteries which are as reliable Mazda racing parts are being developed now by the automaker. “A critical component of hybrid technology is the battery. In addition to the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the Prius and other hybrid vehicles, we are working steadily toward the development and production of lithium-ion batteries, which offer the advantages of greater energy and output densities. In the area of energy research, we have also begun development of cellulosic ethanol using our specialized biotechnologies,” added Watanabe.
Need help resetting maintanence light on 2005 Toyota Corolla?
cruelgirl50 asked:
Tried following some of the answers posted (holding down odometer button while trip A showing and turning key to on position). Haven’t tried holding down the odometer button while the actual mileage of the car is showing, Question: If I hold down the odometer button while actual car mileage is showing, will it erase the mileage of the car?
Tried following some of the answers posted (holding down odometer button while trip A showing and turning key to on position). Haven’t tried holding down the odometer button while the actual mileage of the car is showing, Question: If I hold down the odometer button while actual car mileage is showing, will it erase the mileage of the car?