A New Look for Toyota.com

Allow us to direct your attention to our newly redesigned Toyota.com corporate Website. The new site went live yesterday, and we’ve got to say, it’s stunning.

Not only is it fresh, fast and easy to use, it’s filled with information that’s very easy to access. Whether you want to shop our vehicles, read about Toyota in NASCAR, learn more about our parent company, find out more about our philanthropic outreach, it’s all here – plus much more.

So when you have a few moments, visit us at the new Toyota.com and take a look around. We think you’ll be able to find something there that will make your visit worthwhile.

~ Contributed by Jon F. Thompson, Corporate Communications

IRV'S SHEET: Fact Vs. Folklore

It looks like some folks just didn’t get the memo. As you may already know, a popular television program called "Boston Legal" last night broadcast an episode that contained a speech by one of the actors that repeated a curious and incorrect piece of – well, folklore.

This piece of folklore purports, quite incredibly, that a Hummer H2 is more "environmentally friendly" than a Prius. This curious hypothesis first made the rounds last year in a 458-page tome titled "Dust-to-Dust: The Energy Costs of New Vehicles from Concept to Disposal," published by CNW Marketing Research.

As thoughtful researchers have pointed out, it was wrong. It's still wrong now. Its inclusion in the script of a television show doesn’t change that – no matter how deep the conviction with which the actor delivered the lines containing this fairy tale.

Irv Miller posted a response to the CNW report on June 7. Click on the link to see it complete with reader comments - or you can just read on here to read the memo that the folks at "Boston Legal" apparently didn’t get. Mind you, we can't blame the show's writers for finding this a fascinating story angle. But it's fiction. Just to set the record straight, to provide facts instead of fiction, here it is again.

~Jon F. Thompson, Corporate Communications

We reported earlier this week that our Prius hybrid vehicle contributed significantly to our strong sales results for May with a record 24,009 Prius sold across the U.S.

Which had us wondering about all of the potential energy savings that might have resulted had our competitor to the east of us sold 24,009 Hummers instead. 

Adventures in Moving, the Sequel: Starring the Sienna AWD

Frequent and attentive readers of this space might recall my ode to the Land Cruiser, written last fall written after I borrowed a new Toyota Land Cruiser SUV to move my daughter and all of her worldly belongings to San Francisco for the start of her college career. I’ve always had an affinity for sporty coupes and sedans, seeing full-size trucks and SUVs as lumbering oafs. But my Land Cruiser experience opened my mind. There is a time and place for such vehicles and—much to my surprise—they can be thoroughly satisfying to drive.

Now, fast forward - a mere four months later. Same daughter. Same stuff. But now - due to reasons that are far too complicated to explain—all of the above had to be moved back to Los Angeles. A Land Cruiser, unfortunately, was not available. But a Sienna was. A minivan!? I swallowed a chunk of pride that was laced with preconceived notions and, gratefully, took my seat behind the wheel.

IRV’S SHEET: Setting the Record Straight on Recalls

We’ve noticed a surprising number of stories lately in both print and on the Web that refer to what the stories’ authors like to call "Toyota’s growing recall problems here in the U.S." These lingering reports continue to perplex.

We look at each other and say, "What growing recall problems?"

So we thought that we should post something here in the blogosphere to provide some perspective to this talk about Toyota, recalls and implied quality.

First of all, this: Industry-wide last year, recalls were up by about 30% as manufacturers recalled nearly 15 million vehicles for repairs. In fact, there were 588 separate Safety Recall campaigns involving 14.5 million vehicles in 2007, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data as of January 17.

Executives Speak Out on Toyota FutureTech

A look into the future is always valuable. In the case of Toyota, there’s no better way to get that look, and to see our projects in depth, than to chat with Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor Corp., and with Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto, who oversees all of our research and development.

That’s just what two small groups of journalists did last week in Detroit – they joined Watanabe and Takimoto in separate round-table discussions in which the company and several of its upcoming projects were discussed.

In his session, Watanabe, said, "The new CAFE fuel-economy standards (which require manufacturers’ fleets to average 35 mpg by 2020) are tough standards. As of today, there is no single solution that can solve all of the problems. The hybrid system can be combined with bio-ethanol, diesel or fuel cell, or even PHEV [Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicles]. Hybrid technology can be applied to all the different powertrains."

TELLING TUNDRA'S TALE: Recognition by the truckload

We’d be the first to admit that the all-new 2007 Toyota had some mountains to climb last year, its first year of production.  But the Tundra  has proven that it’s got the brawn required to climb those mountains. As a result, it’s had a significant impact on the full-size truck market.

In its first year, the new Tundra’s impact was such that it earned a plethora of awards, including Motor Trend’s "Truck of the Year," and it sold nearly 200,000 units.

So pleased is Toyota with Tundra’s performance, and so confident are we about its appeal, that we just added 13 new models to the Tundra line, bringing the total number of Tundra models available to 44, in three cab styles, three engine choices and in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

The Tundra raised the bar on the half-ton pickup market and caught the attention of consumers and journalists alike. That attention resulted in the following awards in the new Tundra’s first year of availability:

FOR THE RECORD: How Many Hybrids Will We Sell, When Will We Sell Them and in Which Models?

We’re responding today to a couple of stories, including one of our own, that are a little misleading.

The first of the stories to which I’m referring reported that Toyota has promised to sell  a million hybrid vehicles per year by 2010.

The stories that contain this information refer to a presentation by Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor Corp., at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 13. But they’re not exactly correct.

IRV'S SHEET: On Batteries and Power to the Grid

As you might imagine, a set of comments made Sunday at the North American International Auto Show by Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor Corp., received a great deal of attention, discussion and response.

Mr. Watanabe, you may recall, announced that Toyota has begun the planning for a production line for lithium-ion batteries, and we plan to have Prius Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), powered by such batteries, in the hands of fleet customers by 2010, or sooner. It's just one part of Toyota's global plan to sell a million hybrids per year some time during the next decade.

One response to Mr. Watanabe’s announcement came from Jon Wellinghoff, a commissioner with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and it showed up right here on Open Road.

Commissioner Wellinghoff commended us for "stepping up to the plate with a commitment to begin delivering PHEVs to fleet purchasers in the U.S. within the next two years. This announcement supports what many have stated regarding lithium battery technology. It is viable for use in vehicles here and now."

And he continued, "I only hope that Toyota will also take an additional step when it rolls out these vehicles to fleet purchasers - make them vehicle-to-grid capable so that the benefits and synergies of storage support for the grid can be realized by Toyota from a more valuable product, the consumer from payments back from grid operators for the provision of grid support services, and society from a more efficient electric grid."

Now Showing: 2009 Toyota Venza Crossover Sedan

If you’ve been following along with us here at Open Road, you know that we’ve had a number of important announcements to make at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

One of the most important announcements we’ve made involved the introduction of our new 2009 Venza crossover sedan Monday morning.

Designed to be fun to drive and easy to handle like a sedan, but with the cargo capacity of an SUV, the Venza features a wide stance, a sporty look, high levels of comfort and convenience with the traction and security of all-wheel drive.

Powered by an all-new 2.7L Four or an available 3.5L V6, the Venza is meant for drivers who want the value and reliability of a Camry, the refinement of an Avalon and the utility and functionality of a Highlander – all in one stylish package.

But don’t take Open Road’s word for it. Check out the video we’ve posted to see the Venza, and to see why we’re excited about this cool new vehicle.

- Contributed by Jon F. Thompson, Corporate Communications

Spotlight on Detroit: A-BAT Comes to Town

Toyota's environmentally advanced A-BAT concept vehicle is now on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Journalists in town for the show's press preview period first got a glimpse of the compact pickup with Hybrid Synergy Drive yesterday morning.

Readers of this blog and those not so lucky to be able to see the A-BAT live in Detroit can access high quality video footage of this unique rugged vehicle with built-in solar panels right here on Open Road. Check it out below and later under Toyota TV.

We first broke the story of the A-BAT earlier this month, and judging from the online dialog about the concept vehicle now buzzing around the internet, there's considerable interest in this fuel-efficient, four passenger vehicle--the "next evolution of the compact truck," according to Kevin Hunter, president of Toyota's Calty Design Research Center in Newport Beach, California. Calty and the Toyota Motor Sales Advanced Product Strategy Group are the co-developers of A-BAT.

Want to know more? Well, here's a brief recap of some of the exciting features of this vehicle. Take a look at our video, and access more detailed specs and information by way of our news release, issued earlier this month by Toyota's Corporate Communications group.

TOYOTA A-BAT CONCEPT VEHICLE

• Unibody platform coupled with Hybrid Synergy Drive® technology and four-cylinder gas engine
• Translucent solar panels within instrument panel to capture sunlight and convert into energy
• Forward-looking, bold and functional exterior showcases Toyota's "Vibrant Clarity" design philosophy
• Four-foot cargo bed and translucent sliding roof panel in cab for enhanced cargo flexibility
• Retractable portable navigation unit, Wi-Fi internet and a built-in hard drive for digital music
• Compact pickup truck architecture (181.3" L, 74.4" W, 64.0" H) with a 112.2" wheelbase
• 19" wheels

See the Toyota A-BAT at the North American International Auto Show and on Toyota Open Road Blog.

~ Contributed by Bruce C. Ertmann, Corporate Communications

Toyota in Detroit; http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1375775574http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1156823618