Posts Tagged ‘toyota news’

Toyota Plans Major Boost in Lithium Battery Output

Major shift from older tech suggests more emphasis on plug-ins, BEVs.

by on May.20, 2013

Toyota will expand production of lithium-ion batteries. Expect them to show up in the next-gen Prius and possibly other Toyota products.

Toyota is planning a major increase in production of advanced lithium-ion batteries that could be used in its Prius hybrid and perhaps in other plug-ins or battery-electric vehicles, according to reports from Japan.

The six-fold increase in production of LIon batteries comes as a major shift for the maker which had, until recently, focused exclusively on less powerful but cheaper and more time-tested nickel-metal hydride technology.

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The report by Japan’s Nikkei daily business paper says Toyota and battery partner Panasonic will soon be assembling 200,000 lithium-ion batteries annually, largely for use in the popular Prius model. It is unclear if they will be used in just the conventional hybrid version or may also be used for the new Prius plug-in model.

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Detroit Makers Dominate New Quality Survey

But “the challenge” will be getting import buyers to notice.

by on May.15, 2013

The new Dodge Dart drives off with a win in the latest Total Quality Index.

After long lagging their import rivals in terms of quality and reliability, Detroit makers have begun closing the gap in recent years – and a new study suggests that domestic models may even be taking the lead in many key market segments.

Motown manufacturers led or at least tied for the lead in 12 of 21 categories in Strategic Vision’s closely watched Total Quality Index, products like the Ford Fusion and Dodge Dart besting traditional import stalwarts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic.

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“There’s no questioning domestic car makers want to lead,” said Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision. “For the first time in over a decade our comprehensive and complete study of Quality resulted in more domestic winners than imports.”

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I, Me, My? No, Me.We, Says Toyota

Japanese maker reveals “anti-crisis” concept.

by on Apr.25, 2013

The flexible little Toyota Me.We concept.

“I, me, my,” sang the Beatles – for the younger generation, that’s the group Paul McCartney was in before Wings.  Meanwhile, Toyota is responding with its Me.We concept, a show car it describes as “anti-crisis,” and intended to “address contemporary human, economic and environmental challenges.”

The Me.We Concept was developed as part of a collaboration with French designer Jean-Marie Massaud and unveiled at the Le Rendez-vous Toyota event in Paris.

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For the owner – the Me – the concept is designed to be flexible, convenient and extremely customizable, with removable body panels that can transform the micro-hatchback into a pickup, convertible, even an off-roader.

For the We, the little concept is designed to be environmentally friendly, with most of the vehicle being recyclable.  That includes the polypropylene body panels and the renewable bamboo floor.

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Hybrid and Battery Vehicle Sales Finally Gaining Momentum

But getting buyers back is a problem.

by on Apr.22, 2013

2013 Toyota Prius again dominated the hybrid and advance battery vehicle segment in 2012.

It’s Earth Day, and if you’re thinking about something more environmentally friendly when it’s next time to trade in, you’re not alone.  While sales of “green” cars are often linked to the rise and fall of fuel prices, there’s been a slow but unmistakable increase in demand, especially for hybrids and other battery vehicles which set an all-time record in 2012.

Products like the ever-popular Toyota Prius accounted for 3.1% of the overall U.S. new car market last year, reports data tracking service Experian Automotive, a 49% year-over-year jump from the 2.2% market share in 2011. The downside is that only about one in three hybrid owners buy another gas-electric model when they trade in, according to other industry reports.

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“Hybrid vehicle owners have long been perceived as environmentally conscience consumers,” said Melinda Zabritski, Experian’s director of automotive credit. “While they may have made the vehicle purchase due to caring for the environment, our research shows that hybrid owners are economically minded as well. Hybrid owners tend to have outstanding credit histories, which also has enabled them to obtain financing at lower rates than typical consumers.”

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Adding Major New Lexus Model a Key Reason Older ES Sedan Coming to US

Toyota luxury marque trying to re-think what future luxury buyers will want.

by on Apr.19, 2013

Mark Templin, Jim Lentz and Akio Toyoda at the Friday news conference in New York.

Lopsided exchange rates and potential natural disasters are two reasons why Toyota officials said they plan to shift production of the Lexus ES from Japan to the U.S. during a news conference in New York earlier today – but TheDetroitBureau.com has learned of yet another reason. The Kyushu plant currently producing the Lexus sedan will need to make room for an all-new model the luxury maker is getting ready to bring to market.

While Jim Lentz, Toyota’s top North American executive declined to identify that new model, sources indicate it is likely to be a compact crossover filling a niche below the current RX line. Lentz did say Lexus expects it could yield more than the 50,000 units of annual demand the ES currently generates.

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He also hinted, that this new model and other possibly offerings Lexus is looking at are part of the brand’s push to shift focus from the Baby Boomers who currently dominate its customer ranks to the next generation of luxury buyers. “We’re always looking at the luxury business which will change over time,” explained Lentz during a one-on-one conversation with TheDetroitBureau.com.  “The consumption of luxury and what it means to Boomers may be very different for Gen-Y.  We need to prepare ourselves for what younger luxury buyers will want.”

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Toyota Confirms Lexus ES Production Moving to the U.S.

Maker investing $500 Mil to expand Georgetown plant by 2015.

by on Apr.19, 2013

Akio Toyoda with a Lexus ES at the New York news conference Friday morning.

Toyota Motor Co. President Akio Toyota confirmed today the maker will invest more than $500 million in its Georgetown, Kentucky plant to move production of one of its Lexus luxury vehicles to the U.S. for the first time.

The recently updated Lexus ES sedan will begin rolling off the line at the maker’s Georgetown plant by 2015, said Toyota, grandson of the automaker’s founder. The move, he noted, reflects the fact that the U.S. is the largest market for the luxury brand – while also sidestepping the negative impact of lopsided exchange rates that have made it increasingly difficult to continue producing vehicles in Japan.

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“It is fitting the first country to build the ES outside Japan is the United States because this is home for the Lexus brand,” said Toyoda, a reference to the fact that the luxury marque was, for many years, sold almost exclusively in the U.S. It has, however, begun an aggressive global roll-out in recent years.

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Toyota Investing $500 Mil to Build Lexus ES in US

Lexus ES to move to Georgetown plant by 2015.

by on Apr.19, 2013

Coming at you. Toyota will be building the newly updated Lexus ES at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant.

Toyota Motor Co. is expected to announce Friday plans to invest more than $500 million in its Georgetown, Kentucky plant to move production of one of its Lexus luxury vehicles to the U.S. for the first time.

The world’s largest automaker already produces more than half of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. at various North American assembly plants. But it has, until now, limited production of its Lexus line almost exclusively to Japanese factories.  Though the RX crossover is now produced in Canada, the Lexus ES will become the first luxury model – and the 11th Toyota vehicle assembled in the U.S.

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Toyota is the last of the Japanese “Big Three” to move at least some luxury car production to the States. But like rivals Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., it has been hollowing out production in the home Japanese market due to concerns about exchange rates – as well as potential production issues underscored by the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami that all but shut down the maker’s operations for much of the following nine months.

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Honda Recalling Another 570,000 Vehicles

Latest in series of steps due to defective airbags.

by on Apr.11, 2013

The 2002 Honda Civic is one of the models impacted by the maker's latest airbag recall.

In the latest of a series of steps that has plagued the Japanese maker for several years, Honda announced it will recall more than 470,000 sedans, minivans and crossover-utility vehicles due to defective airbag systems.

The problem could cause potentially serious injuries, the maker acknowledged, and has been linked to such incidents in the past in other vehicles the maker has had to recall for similar issues. In fact, Honda recalled 750,000 other vehicles due to airbag defects earlier this year.

Reports out of Japan indicate other manufacturer may have additional airbag-related recalls to announce this week, possibly covering as many as 3 million vehicles sold worldwide. That could involve Toyota, as well as Honda, according to a Japanese transport ministry official, though it is unclear if – or how many – additional vehicles sold in the U.S. might be impacted.

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The latest U.S. Honda recall covers approximately 426,000 subcompact Civic models sold during the 2001 to 2003 model-years, 43,000 CR-V crossovers offered in 2002 and 2003, and another 92,000 Odyssey minivans from the 2002 model-year.

“It is possible that the passenger front airbag inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which may cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury,” the maker acknowledged in a statement.

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Ford Focus is World’s Best-Selling Automobile

Ford nudges past Toyota, lands three in Top 10.

by on Apr.09, 2013

The Ford Focus toppled the long-running global best-seller, the Toyota Corolla.

Ford Motor Co.’s increasing focus on global small cars apparently is paying off. Make that the Ford Focus which was the world’s best-selling automobile overall last year, according to new data from R.L. Polk & Company.

The Detroit maker’s compact model rang up more than 1 million sales last year, almost 17% more volume than Toyota recorded for its traditional sales leader, the compact Corolla model. Ford also scored at the other extreme, its big F-Series pickups collectively coming in third on the global sales list. In all, Ford landed three different models in the Top 10, including the sixth-ranked Fiesta subcompact.

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Toyota and Honda each had two models on the Polk chart, while Volkswagen and General Motors’ Chevrolet brand each had one. But the Top 10 list also included a new name likely not recognizable to most Westerners: China’s Wuling Zhiguang which generated 768,870 sales, landing just behind the F-Series in fourth place.

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2014 Highlander Caps Toyota’s Product Offensive

New safety features and a more “sleek” design.

by on Mar.27, 2013

Toyota's 2014 Highlander is the centerpiece of the maker's New York Auto Show stand.

Like an army on the march, Toyota is moving ahead with one of its largest product offensives ever, rolling into New York with the new iteration of the its most popular utility vehicle, the 2014 Highlander.

The new version of the midsize Highlander is designed to continue Toyota’s new focus on “passionate” design, something the maker admits has been a critical weakness that it hopes to address with all of its brands. The new look for the Toyota Highlander is mean to convey a sense of refinement and strength, which complements a new interior with seating for up to eight as well as an array of standard features.

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In line with the family buyers midsize crossover-utes like Highlander appeal to, the 2014 update will add a number of new safety features, including optional Blind Spot Monitor and Cross-Traffic Alert.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander will come with three powertrain choices: a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine, a new 3.5-liter V-6 mated to an equally new six-speed automatic, and a V-6-powered Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain for enhanced mileage and lower emissions.

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