Free Republic

If Mother Nature could talk, she’d probably ask if that gas guzzling Hummer is really necessary. Many car manufacturers would likely agree. However, even with a noted shift toward fully electric vehicle production in recent years, you may be surprised to learn that the most environmentally friendly car available isn’t fully electric at all — and that it’s based on a model that debuted in the late 1990s. If you’re one of the many prospective car owners hoping to lessen your carbon footprint without sacrificing safety or quality, then this may be the best vehicle for you.Meet the Most Environmentally...

One of the country's largest automakers announced this week that it was shifting its focus away from battery-powered electric vehicles (E.V.s) in favor of hybrids that still use some amount of gasoline. The decision to prioritize a transitional technology makes sense, even though federal regulators might not be happy. Ford Motor Co. CFO John Lawler told journalists Wednesday that the company would be shifting its focus away from all-electric vehicles. This included scrapping an electric three-row SUV previously planned for release in 2025. The decision marks a major shift in the company's priorities. Two years ago, the automaker restructured, cleaving...

Twelve years ago, Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) began testing a unique — and outlandishly expensive — automobile in California: a car powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This so-called FCHV (fuel cell hybrid vehicle) was an electric car that didn’t need to be plugged in. Its electricity was generated by a stack of fuel cells that ran on compressed gaseous hydrogen, a relatively cheap fuel that gives off no harmful emissions; its only byproduct was water vapor. The FCHV never made it to dealer lots, however. Production of plug-in electric cars proved more viable, partially because the FCHV technology was...

What's not to like about this concept: high-efficiency solar cells gifting electric cars with mileage. Bertel Schmitt, The Drive, said, "The solar roof could morph from mostly a marketing-device to a helpful feature." He noted that, referring to plug-ins, "On a fair-weather day, the juice would be provided by the sun, a big improvement especially for people who don't have their own garage."Toyota has ambitions over the concept and is to start testing an onboard solar recharging system where the hood, the roof, and back are covered with cells. The solar roof can charge while the car is on the...

Electric vehicles will never dominate the market, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has said, in the latest sign that car companies are backing away from the troubled technology. The Telegraph has more. Battery-powered electric vehicles will only ever capture 30% of global market share, the Chairman of Toyota has predicted, raising concerns about consumers’ willingness to align with Net Zero goals. Akio Toyoda said that traditional fuel-burning cars, as well as hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would make up the rest of the market. The grandson of the founder of the world’s largest car manufacturer said shifting towards electric vehicles...

A hydrogen combustion engine would be ideal for a Toyota GR branded sports car, if only drivers could fill up Toyota remains adamant that a variety of emissions-reducing technologies will be important for the automotive industry. One, in particular, will be helpful for people who like to drive fast: hydrogen combustion engines. The automaker believes that the technology could help keep internal combustion engine sports cars alive in an electric world. In fact, Masahito Watanabe, the head of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division, says that complete electrification is not a priority for the sub-brand at this time. “We still think the...

It turns out the $10,000 pickup truck is actually too good to be true. But only by a little bit. The production version of the Toyota IMV 0 concept, now known as the Hilux Champ in Thailand, starts at 459,000 Thai Baht, or just over $13,000 at the current exchange rate. On the one hand, that’s 30 percent higher than the price we heard from Toyota engineers during a brief test drive in Japan. On the other hand, it’s a brand new truck with a full bed capable of hauling 2,200 pounds that’s almost as cheap as a 22-year-old Ford...

(Gray News) – Toyota is unveiling a new affordable truck model that was recently introduced at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. The IMV series first launched in Thailand in 2004 and is available in more than 180 countries and regions around the world, according to the automaker. “In Thailand, the IMV series is regarded as a local favorite, integral to daily life,” the company stated in a press release. Toyota said its engineers developed the Hilux Champ truck model with customer lifestyles and needs in mind. Nearly a dozen customized models were shown at the launch in Thailand that portrayed...

Roseville, Calif.- It’s no secret that sedan sales are sliding in the wrong direction. So, why did Toyota get rid of the Avalon sedan and quickly replace it with another sedan? For the record, the Japanese automaker says the 2023 Toyota Crown is not a replacement for the Avalon, which debuted nearly 30 years ago. Discontinued after its 2022 version, the Avalon was a roomy, premium sedan that never quite found a niche. It’s easy to figure out why Toyota shelved the Avalon – lack of sales. It hit rock bottom last year with all-time low of 12,215. And the...

If you like the Prius's new face, you'll probably dig the Camry's, and the interior also receives a comprehensive update. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 2025 Toyota Camry marks the mid-size sedan's ninth generation. For the first time, the Camry will be offered only in hybrid guise. A revamped cabin borrows much of its new look from the Crown sedan. While SUVs dominate the automotive landscape like some sort of fender-cladded solar eclipse, mid-size sedans soldier on as family-friendly alternatives that are a little more down to earth (literally). The Hyundai Sonata has been given a recent refresh, and Honda released a new...

The next generation of the Toyota Camry, the best-selling sedan in the U.S. market, will come with only a gas-electric hybrid powertrain, the boldest move yet by the Japanese automaker to push hybrid technology into the heart of the U.S. market. The 2025 Camry will combine a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with an electric drive system tuned to deliver more power in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions of the car, Toyota said. Compliance with tougher U.S. fuel economy rules was a factor in Toyota’s decision to make the new Camry an all-hybrid vehicle line, dropping four- and six-cylinder combustion...

Carmaker Toyota on Wednesday announced a safety recall covering more than 1.8 million RAV4 vehicles in the U.S. due to a potential fire risk. The recall involves some 2013 to 2018 model year RAV4s. According to Toyota, some replacement 12-volt batteries of the size specified for the affected vehicles have different dimensions than others. “If a small-top battery is used for replacement and the hold-down clamp is not tightened correctly, the battery could move when the vehicle is driven with forceful turns,” according to Toyota. “The movement could cause the positive battery terminal to contact the hold-down clamp and short...

Toyota has said it is close to being able to mass manufacture potentially revolutionary solid-state batteries that could offer double the range of existing electric cars. According to Toyota, cars powered by solid-state batteries could have a range of 745 miles, a charging time of 10 minutes and hit the market in 2027 or 2028. They have been presented by experts as a revolutionary technology that could bring EVs into the mainstream. Switching to an electric vehicle is out of reach for many Americans, experts have warned, as a lack of access to charging ports mean they fear being left...

The FT-Se concept’s interior shows a "steering apparatus" that may play into the same steer-by-wire EV system as the Lexus RZ. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Toyota has been slow in adopting EVs; the bZ4X is the only current model. But the Japanese brand has big plans for EV battery tech, and Toyota may be poised to become a dominant player in the EV space. What will that future look like? Toyota is previewing it with two new concepts at the Japan Mobility Show. There's no electric pickup yet. But one of the two concepts definitely looks like an electric Supra. Meet the Toyota...

The automotive juggernaut unveiled new battery tech and new battery-powered vehicle plans. Toyota has big plans to bring new, improved tech — and, perhaps, a sharper focus — to the electric vehicle market. It suggests a shift from the auto juggernaut’s previous position, which took a more skeptical approach to converting to fully EVs, instead pursuing a mix of fully-electric, hybrid, and hydrogen cars. The maker of the Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid, says it will continue to offer a range of powertrain options, but it also announced a suite of new technologies designed to help the company fully...

Virtually alone among major auto manufacturers, Toyota has been a skeptic about the conversion of vehicle fleets to battery-powered electric vehicles. For people incapable of thinking 2 or 3 steps ahead, EVs are “zero emission” and therefore “save the planet” from CO2 (presumed to control the earth’s temperature despite no statistical correlation). But this leaves out the environmental and CO2 cost of generating and transmitting electricity (mostly by burning coal in the US and many other countries), manufacturing (and recycling) the enormous batteries, and the energy and wear and tear cost of the much-heavier cars that result. Energy losses due...

Toyota and other Japanese car makers are trying to extend hybrids to delay electrification of transport in Indonesia. Toyota still talks “customer choice” while not offering fully electric vehicles. Changing emissions regulations in China, the US, Europe and soon Australia mean massive increases in BEV adoption. This is a threat that Toyota fails to acknowledge. Toyota’s claim to be clean energy focused is increasingly being challenged. It's getting too late for Toyota to enter the BEV transformation race. Investors might re-think what this means. It's interesting to think about how one engages with an automotive manufacturer. When I think of...

Electric cars are quick, quiet, and kind to the planet, but limited range and lengthy charging times mean road trips aren't exactly their strong suit. That's what I learned when I took Toyota's new bZ4X SUV from New York to Washington D.C. one weekend in early April. The 500-mile journey wasn't some epic coast-to-coast adventure, but rather the kind of long-haul drive someone might casually take a few times per year and not think twice about — if they're behind the wheel of a regular gas car. Let's nerd out for just one moment to establish some basic concepts. Every...

While electric vehicles may seem to be all the rage in the automotive space, Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda is pumping the brakes on the idea of an all-in approach. "People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority," Toyoda told reporters during a trip to Thailand, according to the Wall Street Journal. "That silent majority is wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option. But they think it's the trend so they can't speak out loudly." "Because the right answer is still unclear, we shouldn't limit ourselves to just one option," he...

BURIRAM, Thailand—Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said he is among the auto industry’s silent majority in questioning whether electric vehicles should be pursued exclusively, comments that reflect a growing uneasiness about how quickly car companies can transition. Auto makers are making big bets on fully electric vehicles, investments that have been bolstered by robust demand for the limited numbers of models that are now available. Still, challenges are mounting—particularly in securing parts and raw materials for batteries—and concerns have emerged in some pockets of the car business about the speed to which buyers will make the shift, especially as...