Toyota Testing New Solar Panels to Increase EV Range

Toyota, with some help from Sharp and Japanese national research organization NEDO, covered a Prius with its latest solar panels that increase range by 27.7 miles a day.

Vineeth Joel Patel2019-07-14 07:00 PT

Automakers Toyota & Geely Join Baidu’s Open Apollo Autonomous Driving Platform

China’s internet search giant Baidu is partnering with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp on areas related to artificial intelligence (AI) for self-driving cars.

FutureCar Staff 2019-07-08 18:49 PT

SoftBank, Toyota's Self-driving Car Venture to Add Five Additional Automakers: Sources

The self-driving car joint venture of SoftBank Corp and Toyota Motor will receive investment from an additional five Japanese automakers, two sources familiar with the matter said, broadening backing for the all-Japan effort.

FutureCar Staff 2019-06-27 05:00 PT

Toyota to Speed up its EV Development, Will Turn to China for Batteries

​Toyota Motor Corp is speeding up its timeline of having half of its global vehicle sales electric. To support the ambitious new timeline, Toyota said will turn to Chinese suppliers to supply the batteries needed for the new crop of electric models.

FutureCar Staff 2019-06-07 12:39 PT

U.S Drops Plans Requiring a Throttle, Brake Override System in Vehicles

​After dozens of fatal accidents a decade ago involving Toyota and Lexus vehicles that were initially blamed on faulty electronics leading to "unintended acceleration", the NHTSA proposed regulations that would have required that all motor vehicles have a brake pedal that can override the accelerator pedal in emergency situations. On Monday, the NHTSA said that since automakers have voluntarily installed these systems on all new vehicles, it's dropping plans mandate it.

Eric Walz2019-05-13 14:58 PT

Toyota Halts Plans to Include Short-Range Communications Tech in Vehicles for the U.S. Market

Toyota Motor Corp is abandoning plans to install Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Technology in its vehicles. The technology enables vehicles to communicate with other nearby vehicles, infrastructure, traffic signals and other smart city infrastructure.

Eric Walz2019-04-27 06:00 PT

Toyota to Sell Electric Vehicle Technology to Chinese EV Startup Singulato

Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to sell electric car technology to EV startup Singulato Motors, its first deal with a Chinese electric vehicle startup. The deal to license EV technology will allow the startup carmaker to speed up development of a lower-priced, compact electric vehicle for the China market.

FutureCar Staff 2019-04-15 13:29 PT

Toyota to Open its Patents Related to Hybrid Vehicle Technology

​Toyota Motor plans to offer royalty-free access to its advanced hybrid-vehicle technology patents as early as this year. The move is a strategic policy shift that will encourage competitors to develop hybrid vehicles by sharing Toyota’s expertise in hybrid powertrains.

FutureCar Staff 2019-04-03 13:30 PT

Toyota to Invest $13 Billion in U.S. Manufacturing Over 5 Years with a Focus on Electric & Hybrid Technology

Toyota is investing billions to expand its U.S. production to support new models. The world's biggest automaker announced it will invest $13 billion over five years with a new commitment to new technologies such as electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

FutureCar Staff 2019-03-14 13:30 PT

Toyota Aims to Have a Autonomous Car on Sale in a Year

Still think autonomous cars are years away? Toyota doesn’t think that’s the case, as the Japanese brand claims it will have drivable supercomputers on the road by 2020.

Vineeth Joel Patel2019-02-14 06:00 PT

Toyota Establishes a New Company Named “KINTO” That Will Offer Car Subscriptions

Following in the footsteps of Cadillac, Volvo, BMW and Audi, the Toyota Motor Corporation is launching a new subscription-based vehicle service. The automaker announced today a new company called Kinto to manage and operate its subscription business.

Eric Walz2019-02-05 19:36 PT

Toyota & Panasonic Establish Joint Venture Company to Build EV Batteries

The Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic announced a new joint venture to develop advanced automotive prismatic batteries for use in electric vehicles. The new joint venture aims to be operating by 2020.

FutureCar Staff 2019-01-22 16:13 PT

Toyota Says its Guardian Autonomous Driving Technology Will Amplify Human Control, Not Remove it

At this week’s annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Toyota Research Institute (TRI) CEO Dr. Gill Pratt said TRI has also been working to improve Toyota’s Guardian over the past 12 months, making it function as an extension of human senses.

Eric Walz2019-01-10 18:04 PT

Toyota & Kenworth Collaborate To Develop Zero-Emission Fuel Cell Trucks

At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the Kenworth Truck Company and Toyota Motor North America announced a collaboration to develop Kenworth trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains developed by Toyota. The initial plans are to built built ten zero-emission Kenworth T680s for use in the Port of Los Angeles.

Eric Walz2019-01-09 19:22 PT

Toyota Continues to Back Hybrids, Believes EV Batteries Are Flawed

Toyota not only believes that electric vehicles are hindered by the amount of cobalt that’s available, but also that democratizing hybrids is better for air quality.

Vineeth Joel Patel2018-10-08 14:30 PT

Port of Los Angeles Awarded $41 Million for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Freight Project

Toyota Motor North America is continuing its commitment to hydrogen fuel cell technology. The automaker is partnering with the Port of Los Angeles, truck maker Kenworth, and oil company Shell to launch a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell freight project under which it will supply powertrains and provide operational support.

FutureCar Staff 2018-09-14 15:43 PT

Toyota Group Members Teaming Up In Self-Driving Joint Venture

Four Toyota Motor group members including major automotive parts suppliers Denso and Aisin Seiki are planning to combine their research and development operations on self-driving technology into a single joint venture, according to Nikkei Asian Review.

Jacky Ho2018-08-24 16:53 PT

Toyota Unveils its Next Generation Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck

Toyota reinforced its commitment to hydrogen fuel cell technology with the unveiling of its next generation Project Portal 2.0 Class 8 hydrogen-powered truck at a press event today in Michigan.

Eric Walz2018-07-31 11:11 PT

Toyota Looks to Expand Production & Lower Costs of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

Although much of the automotive industry has dismissed hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars as commercially inviable and too expensive, Toyota is forging ahead with plans to improve its Mirai, its first fuel cell car. The Mirai was introduced to the U.S. market in 2015. Toyota says it can popularize fuel cell vehicles in part by making them more affordable.

Jeremy Carlton2018-07-26 12:21 PT

Toyota to Prioritize Hybrids Over Pure Electric Vehicles Over Next Decade

Automakers may be diving headfirst into electric vehicles as a way of meeting fuel and emissions regulations, but Toyota will be sticking to hybrids for the next 10 years.

Vineeth Joel Patel2018-05-28 09:00 PT