Toyota Prius

Toyota Announces New Strategies Including New U.S. Prius Plant

Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup. The changes include: * Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles. * The Highlander mid-size SUV, originally scheduled to be built in Mississippi, will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning in Fall 2009. *

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Cool Toyota Prius Even Cooler In 2010 With Solar-Powered Air Conditioning?

Toyota plans to purchase the panels from Japanese electronics maker Kyocera. The panels would produce approximately the same kilowatts as a rooftop solar array on a typical house. Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco declined comment. The Prius is currently the most successful hybrid vehicle. In the United States, Toyota sold more than three times as many Prius models in 2007 than any other manufacturer. The Prius is also the commanding hybrid sales leader through the first six months of 2008. Toyota’s success with its hybrid has prompted the manufacturer’s promise to offer hybrids in every model in its line-up soon after 2020. Toyota has sold more than a million Prius models during the past decade and is planning to sell a

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Want To Get Lucky? Don't Buy These Cars, Pontiac Aztek to Toyota Prius

This top-10 list is a dubious, but practical list of “Top 10 cars, guaranteed to ensure your family line ends with you.” The writer, Vol85, begins with the premise: “I was recently in Knoxville (recently being about six hours ago), and I saw a bunch of Pontiac Azteks at used car lots there. I was thinking, ‘No wonder. Who would want to ruin their life by being seen in one?’ So, the idea for this list was born.” “ . . . These are the cars that say, ‘Nobody in the history of mankind, has had a bulge big enough to compensate for this loser-mobile.” (Comments in quotes are the original author’s remarks.) 10. Mazda 5 —  “it’s like a

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Hybrids Rule: 2008's Top Five, Chevy Malibu to Ford Escape (Part 1)

Depending upon one’s perspective, either a lot or not much changed in hybrid cars until 1997. That’s when Toyota debuted the Prius only to car buyers in Japan. A decade later, the automotive industry is fully engrossed in the world of hybrid and other alternatively powered cars. The Prius remains at the forefront of the industry, accounting for about half of 350,000 hybrids sold in the United States in 2007. But while the high-mileage Toyota dominates the market, an ever-expanding array of manufacturers know there’s plenty of room for everyone. Less than three percent of new cars sold in the country last year were hybrids. As such, economy to luxury, sedans to pickup trucks, more than 65 hybrid choices will

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Honda Begins Limited U.S. Distribution Of Hydrogen Car, Clarity

The FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the gases believed to induce global warming. Honda began transporting the first supply of the vehicle June 16 from Takanezawa, Japan to Los Angeles. A few dozen of perhaps 200 of the vehicles expected to be available in coming months have created a buzz among Hollywood celebrities, according to the Associated Press. The news service reported actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Harris, filmmaker Christopher Guest and Ron Yerxa and businessmen Job Spallino and Jim Salomon are among the Clarity’s first customers. Honda believes its new car is two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car.

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Hybrid Sales Continue To Climb In United States

The total sale of all hybrids in U.S last month was the second-highest ever, falling only behind the May 2007 total. The total pushed hybrid to a total sales share of 2.8 percent. Toyota reported 20,635 sales of the Prius in March 2008, an increase of eight percent over March 2007 and the model’s second-best month’s results to date. The Camry Hybrid sold 6,930 units, up 35 percent, and representing 17.1 per cent of all Camry sales. The Highlander Hybrid sold 2,239 units, down 10 per cent from March 2007, and representing 20.7 per cent of all Highlanders sold. The Lexus RX400h sold 1,570 units, up seven percent, and representing 20.3 percent of all RX models sold. The GS450h sold

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Ford, Volvo, Honda, Acura dominate Institute For Highway Safety's 34 Vehicles Top Pick

Winners also have to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows can significantly reduce the risk of crashing. At the beginning of the 2007 model year, 13 models qualified, but as manufacturers have made changes and introduced new and safer vehicle designs, 10 additional vehicles qualified during the year. Now another 11 vehicles are being added to the list for 2008. Designating winners based on the tests makes it easier for consumers to identify vehicles that afford the best overall protection without sifting through multiple sets of comparative crash test results. Eight vehicles from Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, make the list of winners for 2008. Seven winners are from Honda and its subsidiary, Acura. For first

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Consumer Reports Selects Its Top-10 Cars For 2008

Small sedan: Hyundai Elantra, Cost: $18,000 — “The Elantra is a well-rounded small car that provides good fuel economy, a comfortable ride and an interior that’s quiet, roomy and well-equipped.” (TheWeekly Driver.com comment: I drove a 2007 Elantra about 1,000 miles from San Jose to Los Angeles to Sacramento. It performed surprisingly well, particularly over the ominous Grapevine on Interstate 5.) Midsize SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe, Cost: $22,000-$31,000 — The recently redesigned Santa Fe performed better than the Honda Pilot in Consumer Reports’ testing. “It provides a quiet and roomy interior, excellent fit and finish, a refined powertrain, a relatively good ride and an optional third-row seat.” Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, Cost: $27,000 to $39,000 — The Silverado

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GM, Toyota Battle For No. 1 Over A Half-Million Cars

What’s a few hundred thousand cars between close friends? According the manufacturers’ respective tallies, General Motors and Toyota ended  2007 nearly tied for honors as the world’s biggest automaker. General Motors announced this week it sold 9,369,524 cars in 2007. Toyota also reported this week that it sold 9.366 million cars last year,  about 3,000 fewer vehicles than GM. Toyota has steadily expanded its U.S. demand for small cars, particularly the hybrid market. Its Prius is the best-selling hybrid in the country. Toyota has also done well in the pick-up truck market, where the Tundra was named Truck of the Year by a respected national automotive publication. A day later, however, the results got a little complicated. Toyota, not GM,

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Audi A8, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

If the latter is a priority, then my weekly test drive was as good as it gets. A redesign for 2004, the Audi A8 includes a 2.5-inch longer wheelbase, an inch more leg room and an increase of 20 horsepower to 330 horsepower. The engine remains the same, 4.2 liters with five valves per cylinder. A 6-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift gate replaces a 5-speed automatic. Other changes include optional 18 or 19 inch wheels instead of standard 17-inch wheels from the previous generation, and optional heated front and rear seats and steering wheel. Having not driven an Audi Quattro in its previous edition, I couldn’t make any comparisons. Nonetheless, it was hard not to be impressed with

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