Toyota to halt production for 11 days

Toyota announced today that it will halt production at its Japanese plants for 11 days in February and March due to a strong decline in U.S. sales that are leading to inventory pile-ups for dealers. Toyota reported a 37 percent loss in December sales in the U.S., making it the sharpest fall in more than a quarter of a century. It even performed worse than its U.S. rivals General Motors and Ford.

“I never expected the crisis to spread this fast and leave this deep a scar,” Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe told reporters in Tokyo.

Rival Honda and Nissan have both announced production output cuts by at least 200,000 vehicles for the fiscal year ending in March. Toyota had previously announced a 3-day production halt for Jan. 2009 at its 12 Japanese plants.

Source: CNNMoney

2009 Toyota Venza starts at $28,270

Toyota Canada announced the pricing on the 2009 Venza crossover, and also stated that their vehicles would get an average of 1% in price increases.
The base front-drive Venza with a 182-hp, 2.7-litre 4-cylinder engine will start at $28,270. It comes with a power driver's seat, climate control, 6-CD/MP3 changer with 6 speakers, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cruise control, power windows and heated outside mirrors, keyless entry, 19-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, 7 airbags, traction and stability-control systems and 6-speed automatic with manual mode.

The Venza AWD goes for $29,720 and adds a power-closing liftgate. It's also available with a $3,440 Premium Package that adds heated front seats, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, leather, woodgrain interior trim, a power-opening tailgate, a backup camera and a panoramic sunroof.
The $29,970 Venza V6 gets 268 horsepower from its 3.5-litre engine and 20-inch alloy wheels, and the $2,020 Premium Package adds the power-opening tailgate, backup camera, panoramic sunroof as well as an alarm system.
Finally, the Venza V6 AWD costs $31,420 and can be equipped with several packages that include navigation, xenon headlights, Bluetooth connectivity, an upgraded sound system with 13 speakers and keyless start. A fully-loaded Venza reaches $39,345.

Toyota Developing Solar Car: Report

Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a solar-powered vehicle as an alternative to its popular hybrid Prius and Camry models, the Associated Press is reporting.

Toyota, which also builds luxury-themed Lexus cars, is developing the program in two stages. First, the automaker is working on a method to power a car partially from built-in solar cells, and then recharged via electricity generated from solar panels on the roofs of homes, according to The Nikkei, a leading business daily in Japan. Later, the next step will be to develop a version that's totally powered by solar cells mounted on the car. In both cases, production models are still years away.

Today, Toyota uses solar panels at its central Japan plant to produce some electricity, according to the article. "The solar panels on the roofs add up in size to the equivalent of 60 tennis courts and produce enough electricity to power 500 homes," Toyota said in a statement. "That reduces 740 tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions and is equal to using 1,500 barrels of crude oil." (Image credit: AutoblogGreen)

2009 Toyota Yaris Review

The 2009 Toyota Yaris is Toyota's smallest, least expensive model. Research by TheCarConnection.com finds its styling to be much better received than that of its predecessor, the Echo. For 2009, a five-door Liftback joins the three-door Liftback and four-door sedan in the model line.

Autobytel says, "Overall, the styling is a bit quirky, with the grille and headlights almost creating the automotive equivalent of a grin, but it helps distinguish the Yaris and imparts some personality." Automobile Magazine reports, "The two-door hatch's funky styling was born in Toyota's European design studio," adding that, compared to the Echo that the Yaris replaced for 2007, the Liftback and sedan "no longer look like automotive design don'ts." Road & Track notes that the four-door Yaris sedan "looks like the little brother of the Corolla."

Much attention has been paid to Toyota's departure from the usual conservative styling of its smallest cars; Autoblog thinks "the design is deliberately weird enough" to be sold under Toyota's youth-oriented Scion brand instead. "Indeed," continues the Autoblog reviewer, "Toyota's supposedly hipper sub-brand offers the xD, a five-door on the same architecture as the three and four-door Yaris models."

A more sport-oriented "S" model adds sport seats, larger wheels, a mild body kit, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Autobytel reports, "Outside, the S body kit and 15-inch wheels worked wonders on our tester, at least implying some sport if not actually delivering it." However, Road & Track points out that "Yaris owners can up the ante with TRD accessories including suspension modifications, sport exhaust and 18-in. alloy wheels."

The interior design is a bit more controversial; the layout "lends the Yaris a bigger feel inside," says Autoblog, but Autobytel gripes, "A center-mounted gauge cluster is nothing new, and neither are our complaints about it." Automobile Magazine has a particularly negative view, stating, "Toyota insists that drivers eventually get used to the unconventional location—yeah, and convicts eventually get used to cell block D." But Road & Track sees more humor in the center-mounted gauges, quipping, "Now everybody in the car can see how fast you're going, or how much fuel you have left."

Conclusion

The 2009 Toyota Yaris proves that small economy cars don't have to look dull, even if the more daring styling stirs controversy in some areas.

2009 Toyota Venza - Second Drive

Back in the good old days when gasoline was cheap—oh, about four years ago—and credit came easy, bigger was better. We bought the car or truck we wanted, not necessarily the one we needed. Today, in a time of economic hell approaching Dantesque proportions, we buy what we need, assuming we can afford anything at all. With the Venza, Toyota is hoping to take the sting out of this painful dilemma by giving us some of the things we want in a car, SUV, and minivan and blending them into one seemingly practical package we might actually want.

The source of this all-for-one vehicle is Toyota’s versatile Camry architecture, fortified with some Highlander hardware and spiced up with fresh sheetmetal. In broad terms, the Venza falls into the ill-defined crossover category, but it leans more toward being like a car than an SUV. Compared with the six-inch-taller Highlander, its ride and handling are more compliant, its style is swoopier, and it’s less utilitarian in that there’s no third row of seats. Compared with a Camry, its rear seat is equally roomy, it’s easier to get into and out of, and its sightlines are higher, but its tall stance and elevated center of gravity make it somewhat less agile.

33 mpg Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept

Toyota Displays Hybrid Synergy Drive® Versatility With CNG-Powered Camry Hybrid Concept At 2008

November 19, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today highlighted the versatility of its Hybrid Synergy Drive® system by showing a compressed natural gas (CNG) Camry Hybrid concept vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

“In the near future, growing demand for liquid petroleum simply and effectively will exceed supply,” said Chris Hostetter, group vice president, TMS Advanced Product Strategy. “Before that occurs, automakers must look to vehicles powered by alternative fuels. We believe CNG will be one of those alternatives.”

The current CNG benefits are amplified by rapidly changing market conditions and an increase in consumer environmental awareness. As a transport fuel, natural gas is a clean and safe gasoline alternative. It can potentially reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil and reduce vehicle operating costs. Currently more than 99 percent of natural gas used in the U.S. comes from domestic & other North American sources. Proven worldwide natural gas reserves are estimated to last until 2100 and have the potential to last until 2200 through improved advanced production methods.

Natural gas also produces lower particulate emissions, nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-methane organic gases (NMOG), and less CO2 per unit of energy when compared with gasoline. In addition, it has a higher flash point (ignition temperature) than gasoline, can run at a higher compression ratio and is quickly dispersed into the atmosphere, should a leak occur.

The CNG Camry Hybrid concept was designed by the TMS Advanced Product Strategy group and built by Metal Crafters of Fountain Valley, Calif. To convert the stock Camry Hybrid to a CNG vehicle, the gasoline fuel system was replaced with a CNG system including two CNG tanks installed in the spare tire well area.

The exterior of the vehicle also received some sporty ‘concept’ touches. A sleek custom front fascia and front bumper cover eliminate the grill opening, while a custom rear bumper covers the tail pipe and visible exhaust system. The vehicle is fitted with 19 x 7.5 alloy wheels and Bridgestone Potenza 225/35ZR19 run-flat tires to accommodate the lack of a spare tire. The overall ride height is lowered while new side body skirts and “Compressed Natural Gas Hybrid” graphics complete the unique look.

In 1999, Toyota marketed a CNG-powered four-cylinder Camry to fleet customers in California. Due to relatively low gasoline costs at that time, customers were not attracted to a vehicle that required special refueling techniques and a limited refueling infrastructure. The program was discontinued a year later. Today there are less than 1,000 CNG refueling stations nationwide, with less than half open to the public.

“Toyota believes CNG has huge potential, both in the U.S. and globally,” said Hostetter, “but CNG is just one of the many alternative fuels we’re exploring in our ongoing advanced technology research and development.”

TOYOTA CNG CAMRY HYBRID CONCEPT

PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

POWERTRAIN

2.4 liter, 4-cylinder engine with Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive®

Gasoline fuel system replaced with CNG system

ESTIMATED FUEL ECONOMY (mpg)

City/Highway/Combined = 32/34/33

(Gasoline Camry Hybrid = 33/34/34)

NET HORSEPOWER (Engine + Electric Motor + Generator + Power Storage)

170 hp

CNG SYSTEM

•Two (2) Lincoln composite Type 4 tanks - plastic liner with carbon fiber wrapped exterior

•Tanks installed in spare tire well area

•Maximum 3,600 psi

CAPACITY

Proposed 8 gallon gasoline equivalent

RANGE

250+ miles

DIMENSIONS (inches)

Overall Length: 191.2

Overall Width: 71.7

Overall Height: 57.5

Wheelbase: 109.3

Wheel Size: 19 x 7.5 alloy wheels

Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept

Toyota has released images of the Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept, or the T. Boone Pickens cruiser as we like to call it. Already known for their gas-electric hybrids, this concept combines the Hybrid Synergy Drive system with a natural gas-fueled engine. Toyota claims the Hybrid should travel more than 250 miles per fill-up, which could theoretically occur at any of the approximately 1,000 CNG refueling stations in the US. As this is currently just a concept, they've added an aggressive body kit with a covered grille which certainly distinguishes it from the regular Camry Hybrid. Natural gas has been part of the alternative fuel discussion because of its domestic production capacity and relatively stable price. Details about the CNG Hybrid Camry from Toyota below.

A Camry Hybrid Fueled by CNG

As you very likely know, we’re big believers in the concept of hybrid vehicles. We build gas-electric hybrids in several styles; one of them, our Prius, is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in America.

But we also believe that there’s more than one way to solve a problem. One problem we’d like to solve involves the unpredictable nature of gas prices.

Gas prices are relatively low now, but they were incredibly high last summer, and could well revert to those high levels. But the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) remains fairly stable, and there’s a strong, reliable domestic supply of CNG. It just happens to be one of many alternative fuel applications being explored in Toyota’s broad sustainable mobility research and development strategy.

That’s why we built a special concept CNG Camry Hybrid that we’ll display at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

To convert a stock Camry Hybrid to a CNG vehicle, the gasoline fuel system was replaced with a CNG system that includes a pair of CNG tanks installed in the spare-tire well of the vehicle’s trunk. Because it now lacks a spare tire, the CNG Camry Hybrid rolls on runflat tires.

And roll it does. With the proposed CNG equivalent of 8 gallons of gasoline in its tanks, the estimated range of the CNG Camry Hybrid is more than 250 miles. Link that efficiency to the price of CNG and you can see why we’re interested in this – as this is written, CNG is about a dime cheaper, per gallon, than the national average price of regular-grade 87-octane gasoline.

But price and efficiency are only the tip of the iceberg of CNG benefits. Natural gas also produces lower particulate emissions and lower levels of nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-methane organic gasses (NMOG) when compared with gasoline. And because CNG is so clean, potential wear and tear on an engine fueled by it is greatly reduced.

Those are the considerable upsides to CNG. There also are downsides. An important one is that there are fewer than 1,000 CNG refueling stations in the U.S., with fewer than half of them open to the public. Also, natural gas is less dense than gasoline. So a CNG engine will have approximately 10% less power than an equivalent gasoline engine. Also, a CNG vehicle’s fuel tank must be cylindrical, so it is more difficult to package than a gasoline tank, which can be shaped to conform to any available space.

We want to underscore the fact that the CNG Camry Hybrid is just a concept vehicle. This concept vehicle is a statement that we intend to include CNG in our diverse portfolio of future alternative-fuel R&D. Our purpose in building it as a concept is to demonstrate the efficiency and adaptability of Hybrid Synergy Drive, and to demonstrate that we continue to work with a variety of powertrain concepts to ensure that we have products that meet the current and future needs of our customers on a global basis. We think you’ll find the CNG Camry Hybrid interesting. So if you’re visiting the LA show, feel free to drop by and take a look.