Toyota plans to expand green vehicle lineup

Toyota believes in green. Japan’s biggest car maker is boosting its green vehicle lineup, with plans for 21 new hybrids in the next three years, a new electric car later this year and a fuel-cell vehicle by 2015. The shift to eco-driving by Toyota is in response to growing demand for fuel efficiency. An electric version of the Rav-4 sport utility model, which Toyota worked on with America’s electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors, goes on sale this month. The fuel-cell vehicle, which runs on hydrogen to produce electricity, will be offered in 2015.

Toyota is counting on its reputation for green technology that it built with its hit Prius, the world’s leading gas-electric hybrid, to woo buyers. Takeshi Uchiyamada, the executive overseeing technology and new model development at Toyota, told The Associated Press the long-term potential for fuel cells was great compared to electric cars because of greater cruise range and shorter charging time. He said tens of thousands of fuel-cell vehicles were likely to get sold in the 2020s. A good compromise at the moment is the plug-in hybrid, which works as an electric vehicle until the battery runs down, and then switches to its hybrid motor, so there’s less chance of being stranded than with a standard electric car.

-Courtesy of ABC News

Keep your child safe during Child Passenger Safety Month

September is Child Safety Passenger Month, and child safety in the car is always a top priority. Here's a quick, simple checklist to make sure that your child passenger is safe during your next errand:

1. Right Seat

Check the label on your car seat to make sure it’s appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height.

2. Right Place

Keep all children in the back seat until they are 13.

3. Right Direction

Keep your child in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, usually until around age 2.

4. Inch Test

A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.

5. Pinch Test

Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and you are unable to pinch any excess webbing.

Toyota's new robot is handy household helper

An in-home robot for the masses that can fetch objects from the floor and high shelves and connect you with family and friends via a tablet computer, is being shown off this week at a trade show in Japan.

The lightweight, cylindrical Human Support Robot (HSR) responds to voice commands as well as a graphic interface on a tablet computer. Its key feature is a folding arm with a two-finger gripper that can pick up stuff from the ground, open curtains, reach high shelves, and other tasks, according to Toyota. 

The arm is about 2.5-feet long and can lift objects weighing up to 2.7 pounds and 5.1 inches wide, which is sufficient to pick up a dropped remote control or fetch an ice cold beer from the fridge.

The 70 pound machine was designed to assist independent home living for people with limited arm or leg mobility. Top speed is only 1.8 miles per hour and the arm moves with insufficient force to cause much trouble, making it safe for indoor, at home use, according to Toyota. 

The robot "can also wear a tablet computer atop its head, which would allow caregivers and family members to communicate with the robot's owner over Skype or other services," Gizmag noted in a story about the robot.

While a price isn’t set for the HSR, it could sell well among Japan’s aging population where insurance will pick up 70 percent of associated costs thanks to a recently passed law to encourage robot technology for elder care.

HSR is just one of many robots under development that are being designed to work with humans in all kinds of situations from the factory floor to the surface of Mars.

-Courtesy of NBC Blogs

Check out the always-reliable Toyota Corolla

Did you know that 80% of all Corollas sold in the past 20 years are still on the road today? Now that's reliability.  Find out more about the 2013 Corolla by visiting us in person or online: http://bit.ly/ShoFZl

Check out the #Prius Family in this Charming Video

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See why Ja Ne't loves her Toyota Camry

Monday Maintenance Tip: Keeping You Car Clean

A clean car is an attractive car, and luckily, it’s easy to keep your Toyota in impeccable condition. Read below for some quick tips on keeping your car squeaky clean:

• Routinely wash and polish the exterior with a high-quality car wash soap. (Never use dish detergent to wash your car; it can strip off wax and damage the finish.)
• Wash your car in the shade. This keeps your car cool while you work, reducing water spots.
• Rinse first and wash from the top down.
• Use a clean, soft towel or sponge for washing and drying.
• Washing your car is not the same as cleaning the paint. Cleaning and polishing the paint removes oxidation, smoothes the surface, and restores shine.

-Courtesy of Toyota

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The Toyota Prius. It's the hybrid you know and love, and it's been completely recharged!

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We also have a great deal on the Toyota Corolla LE: lease the Corolla for just $99 a month for 36 months!

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The Toyota Prius. It's the hybrid you know and love, and it's been completely recharged!

Right now, we're offering to lease the Prius Plug-in for just $199 a month!

We also have a great deal on the Toyota Corolla LE: lease the Corolla for just $99 a month for 36 months!

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Toyota pickup will tow space shuttle Endeavour to museum

Toyota has arranged to have one of its pickup trucks tow the space shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles on the last leg of its journey to a museum.

Toyota says its full-size Tundra pickup truck will tow the retiring Endeavour on the final quarter-mile stretch on its way to permanent display at the California Science Center in Exposition Park, just south of downtown Los Angeles. The pickup will pull it down Bill Robertson Lane inside the park perimeter on Oct. 13 to a "finish line," followed by a big party.

But that job will only come after Endeavour had already been towed about 12 miles from Los Angeles International Airport to the area near the museum site. Preparations are already underway for the spectacle.

Endeavour weighs 300,000 pounds, Toyota says. The automaker plans to use a Tundra CrewMax half-ton pickup with a hulking 5.7-liter V-8 engine. Normally, it's maximum towing capacity is limited to 10,000 pounds.

Toyota says it has done extensive testing and worked with The Sarens Group, a heavy lifting and engineered transport company, to develop a dolly specifically for hauling the Endeavour.

-Courtesy of USA Today

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Car Review: Some tweaks, but Prius is still an awesome hybrid

Hello 2012 Toyota Prius. If you are in the market for the quintessential hybrid then look no further. Just as it has in past years, this year’s Prius adds a Plus Performance accessory package, and the handling is much more incisive with a sportier edge.

In its third generation now, the 2012 Toyota Prius also has undergone minor design changes with the possibility of power front seats.

Other hybrids up against the Prius include the Ford Fusion Hybrid and even the Toyota Camry Hybrid, a bit of a step up.

Trims for the 2012 Toyota Prius include the four-door hatchback available in the Two, Three, Four, and Five.

On the Prius Two, expect 15-inch alloy wheels, heated power mirrors, a rear window wiper, keyless ignition and entry, cruise control, automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, height-adjustable driver seat, and a 60/40-split-folding rear seat along with a variety of techno and audio additions.

The Prius Three adds to that impressive list an enhanced keyless entry, rearview camera, navigation system, voice controls, satellite radio, and Toyota's Entune system with real-time traffic, weather and fuel prices. You can also opt for the Solar Roof package with a sunroof and solar-powered ventilation system, making it easier on the Prius’ air-conditioning.

On the Prius Four, there are automatic headlights, an eight-way power driver seat, heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and you can add the Deluxe Solar Roof package with all the Prius Three Solar Roof extras and a head-up display, Safety Connect emergency communications, and high-definition navigation system.

With the top-of-the-line Prius Five, you get 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps and LED headlamps with auto level control and washers. For this one you might consider the Advanced Technology package with adaptive cruise control, pre-collision alert system and a lane-departure warning system.

The Plus Appearance package can be had on all the trims as an extra with 17-inch alloy wheels, a seven-piece aerodynamic body kit and sport-tuned suspension.

Under the hood the 2012 Toyota Prius has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motor/generators. You also get 134 horsepower with a continuously variable transmission.

Toyota’s safety additions to the Prius are antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side, side curtain, and a driver knee airbag. On the Prius Four and Five, you can opt for the Safety Connect emergency communications system while the Prius Five comes with a pre-collision and lane-departure warning system.

Inside, the Prius is pretty easy to figure out, with controls that are driver-friendly and easy to use. Of course there is also the touchscreen with added techie features for 2012, and all is designed appropriately for easy use.

Expect plenty of cargo room, thanks to the hatchback style. Backseat passengers will be happy too with the amount of space offered.

Overall, driving the 2012 Toyota Prius feels good thanks to its easy handling and owning the road with four driving options — Normal, Eco, Power and EV — to thinking about the environment as well.

Also one to watch is the Prius C since it is a subcompact hatchback, which drives more like a vehicle that is not quite so hybrid happy.

Should You Need to Know: Great fuel economy on this one and there is a lot of room with fun techno goodies to play with, making this an all around good choice.

Miles Per Gallon: The Prius offers lots of variety. I drove the Prius C with 53 miles per gallon in the city and 46 miles per gallon on the highway.

-Courtesy of the Washington Times

Toyota platform will beam drive data to phones, re-create drives on Gran Turismo

Toyota is developing a new device for its cars that will collect detailed data on driving such as gas pedal use, brake presses, and gear shifts for viewing on a smartphone app or recreating drives virtually on the PlayStation game Gran Turismo.

The system is still in early development and is slated for initial release on a single sports car late next year in Japan, though Toyota hopes to release it worldwide after that, according to spokesman Dion Corbett. It collects data from the dozens of onboard computer systems, known as electronic control units, or ECUs, that run everything from the engine to the air conditioner in a modern car, then sends it via Bluetooth to a smartphone or stores it on a USB memory stick for future review or sharing.

"Other people will be able to look at your performance and say, 'You took the corner too early, you should have taken this kind of line on that course,'" Corbett said.

The company said it will eventually open the platform up to third-party software developers, allowing them to create apps around real-time driving data obtained from its cars. Such data has long been available to mechanics and technicians using specialized equipment, but Toyota is opening it up to everyday drivers using the Bluetooth and USB interfaces.

Toyota is working on functionality that will allow driving data recorded on major Japanese racing tracks such as its own Fuji Speedway to be imported into Gran Turismo and recreated virtually in the game. Private drivers can pay for driving time on many such tracks.

Initially the device, called the CAN-Gateway ECU, or Controller Area Network-Gateway Electronic Control Unit, will be tested by race car drivers early next year, then released for initial use with Toyota's "86" sports car toward the end of the year. All modern vehicles use ECUs that communicate over a central CAN, so expanding the system to other vehicles is not a big technical challenge.

Dion said that while other car companies have announced similar systems, Toyota's is the first that can log data to USB memory and collect GPS and gyro input.

The device was developed by Toyota together with Denso, one of the carmaker's group companies and a major global manufacturer of automotive components.

-Courtest of PC World