Toyota FT-EV Electric Concept car attests lesser dependence on customary fuels

Eco Factor: FT-EV Electric Concept car aims at reducing dependence on gasoline and petrol.

The Detroit Auto Show 2009 confirms the advent of an imminent era of electricity-driven cars, that would make us less susceptible regarding reliance on gasoline and petrol. This concept car is a reconstruct of the world’s smallest four-seated vehicle, the Toyota IQ. The Toyota FT-EV electric car concept revolves around the idea of providing autos sufficient space within. And the way out is by removing that hefty gasoline engine.

Secondly, the rear curtain airbags go on to attest the same. This down the pipeline commuter battery electric vehicle (BEV) may be an actual living reality by 2012.

Anyway, check out this video after the jump:

The Dark Side:

This car definitely reveals what we can hope for in future automobiles. Despite dispensing of the gas engine, the inner space doesn’t allow sufficient room for a modest seating for more than two people. In a way, having a gasoline engine connected to the electric one might have proved to be an added advantage.

Toyota overtakes Dodge as third best-selling truckmaker in U.S.

As we all know by now, auto sales are down, dropping by around 18% in 2008. Pick-ups actually fared worse, posting a decline of 26.5% over the same period. Still, the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado maintained their positions as the two best selling vehicles in the United States, and these two manufacturers managed to post incremental increases in total pick-up truck market share after all was said and done.
Those increases came directly from the competition, especially Dodge. The full-size Ram truck managed to see its piece of the pie dwindle by almost one full percentage point. Dodge's drop in overall market share allowed Toyota, for the first time ever, to grab the bronze medal behind Ford and General Motors. However, it's not particularly good news for the Japanese upstart, which owns just 8.52% of the market after seeing Tundra sales fall by over 30% in '08 and well short of its stated goal of 200,000 units per year. The last place trophy goes to Nissan, as its 34,000 sales represent a meager 2.11% of the market.
These market share figures include both full-sizers and their smaller brethren, and it was the Toyota Tacoma and the aging Ford Ranger that made the biggest upward moves among the mid-size pick-ups. Again, the biggest loser award goes to Dodge, which saw its Dakota sales fall nearly 65%, and its Mitsubishi Raider stablemate, which posted an insignificant 2,900 total sales.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Detroit 2009: BYD F3DM is the poor man's plug-in Toyota Corolla

With the departure of a number of automakers from this year's North American International Auto Show, the Chinese found themselves in an unfamiliar location: smack in the middle of the Detroit Auto Show. 2009 is the first time that China's automakers have been able to find space to rent on the main show floor -- in years past, they were confined to Michigan Hall, nicknamed "The Basement" by journalists. Taking full advantage of the larger forum, BYD unveiled what it is billing as the world's first production plug-in hybrid, the F3DM Dual Mode. Thankfully, BYD thoughtfully left their cars uncovered earlier in the show, and we were able to get the shots you see here without wading through the crowds.
Powered by a 1.0-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor, BYD says their Toyota Corolla lookalike boasts 168-horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. So equipped, the car can reach 60 miles-per-hour in 10.5 seconds, although it tops out at just 93 mph. More importantly, officials claim that the F3DM will run purely on battery power for 62 miles(!). BYD says the car's Fe battery packs reach a 50% charge in just ten minutes, and a full charge can be obtained in just seven hours from a standard power outlet. Oddly, the very same press release notes that the Fe battery in the company's E6 crossover can be fully recharged in 60 minutes.
We look forward to getting hold of one of these vehicles to verify some of these remarkable claims, but in the meantime we'll have to amuse ourselves with the notion that BYD calls this car a "dual mode hybrid" because it can run on electricity alone or on a combination of battery power and internal combustion. Hmmm...

Detroit NAIAS 2009: 2010 Toyota Camry

The 2010 Toyota Camry is on display today at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The 2010 Camry now comes with a couple of exterior changes including a new grille and front bumper, an enlarged lower intake, larger projector headlamps and restyled tail lamps. The Camry and LE trim-levels now feature restyled standard wheel covers while the XLE trim-level features new 16-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, while the SE grade adds new 17-inch sporty alloy wheels. The 2010 Camry Hybrid gets a unique hybrid grille, a distinct front bumper, a wider lower intake, restyled fog lights and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The entry-level 2010 Camry, LE and XLE grades are powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that produces a total of 169-hp. Moving up a notch you can opt for a 179-hp 4-cylinder - 21-hp more than the outgoing model. The range-topping 2010 Camry will carry the 3.5L V6 making a total of 268-hp. All models are mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic with sequential shift.

Inside, Camry and LE grades are available with an optional audio system equipped with USB port for AUX sources, single-CD with MP3 streaming capability, satellite radio and navigation and Bluetooth connectivity.

Pricing for the 2010 Toyota Camry will be announced closer to its March launch date.

2010 Toyota Camry:

Detroit 2009: Toyota shows off 2010 Camry

In addition to the 2010 Toyota Prius and iQ-based FT-EV, ToMoCo is taking the wraps off the redesigned 2010 Camry at the Detroit Auto Show later today. Due to go on sale this March, the restyled Camry offers the same soul-sucking practicality and Maytag levels of usability as its forbearers, but features a few engineering and design tweaks to bring it into the next decade.
On the outside, the 2010 Camry receives a new front bumper with enlarged air intakes, uprated headlamps and a set of restyled taillights. The XLE model includes 16-inch, ten-spoke wheels, while the SE rolls on 17-inch hoops and the base LE makes due with wheel covers. Inside, a new optional stereo with USB port, Bluetooth, satellite radio, single CD and MP3 capability is fitted, and Vehicle Stability Control is now standard on all models. The Camry Hybrid gets a slightly reworked fascia, along with a new gauge cluster and silk protein/synthetic fiber cloth seats that Toyota claims are more gentle on the skin.
Under the hood of the base Camry, LE and XLE models is a refreshed, 169-hp 2.5-liter four equipped with VVT-i. The SE model uses the same engine, but comes packing another 21 hp and can be had with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. Both the 268-hp, 3.5-liter V6 and the hybrid drivetrains soldier on unchanged.

Detroit 09': 2010 Toyota Camry Makes its Debut

Toyota has unveiled the revised the 2010 Toyota Camry in Detroit.

For 2010 the standard engine in the Camry is a new 2.5L engine. The Camry LE and XLE equipped with the 2.5L puts out 169 horsepower and in the SE it puts out 179. The 2.5L can be mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

The exterior changes to the gas powered Camry include a new grille, front bumper, lager headlights and revised taillights. The Camry Hybrid gets a new unique hybrid grille, a distinct front bumper, a wider lower intake, restyled fog lights and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The revised (boring) 2010 Camry will be available this March.

Toyota unveils FT-EV concept, details plug-in Prius, you won't see either for awhile

While we were living large at CES in Las Vegas yesterday, Toyota's people were up in Detroit, working hard to amp up the crowd at the North American International Auto Show. The world's largest auto maker fulfilled promises by giving more information about an upcoming electric car, showing off a concept called the FT-EV. Based on the iQ ultra-compact, which is currently available in Japan in petrol-powered guise, the battery version has a range of just 50 miles, making it suitable only for those living in those most urban of suburbs. Hopefully it gains a bit more stamina before it (or something similar) goes into production in 2012. Toyota also gave some further information about its impending plug-in Prius, indicating that before the end of the year it will lease 500 prototypes to consumers to act as mobile beta testers prior to the full release of the car. Only 150 of those will be available in the States, though, so you can go ahead and leave "Install extra outlet in garage" low on your to-do list for another year or so