In a piece in the New York Times over the weekend, they pull back the curtains on an exciting experiment between Google (GOOG) and Toyota (TM) – self driving cars. Google has been testing self driving Prius’s in secret for some time which use AI software, cameras and GPS to try to mimic human driving.
According to the article, seven cars have driven 1000 miles completely autonomously and another 140K miles with some human intervention. … Read the rest
The PR nightmare continues unabated for Toyota (TM). As they continue to deny that electronics malfunctions are playing a role in the runaway acceleration issue comes news that another Toyoto Prius sent its owner on anything but a Sunday afternoon joy ride.
James Sikes of San Diego said that his 2008 Toyota Prius hybrid accelerated to nearly 100MPH on its own. He said the mat wasn’t propping up the accelerator and that he tried to … Read the rest
A growing contingent of electric and hybrid vehicle supporters are vouching for the style and simplicity of Toyota’s Prius, one of the most popular and well-loved models on the market. Fans of the Prius have been anxiously awaiting the release of a plug-in model for the vehicle, which is expected to be available to the public in 2012. This January, at the North American International Auto Show, Toyota announced that it would release five hundred … Read the rest
Vacationers who have been pleasantly taking in the sun in a remote corner of the world for many, many months may be shocked by the announcement, but to everyone else, the fact has been increasingly clear for a while: the auto industry isn’t doing very well. From bankruptcies to dealership troubles, halts in production and other major upsets, automakers around the world are suffering in a market impacted by a population that simply can’t prioritize … Read the rest
Although Toyota’s Blue Springs, Mississippi plant is 90% done and the company has invested over $300 million into it, the company has decided to put the project on hold due to the economic collapse, which has caused the bottom to drop out of the US auto market. Since even hybrids aren’t selling well at the moment, Toyota has put the plant on hold "indefinitely."
CLSA’s Tokyo-based analyst, Christopher Richter, commented on the decision:
… Read the rest"With the
According to a newspaper report, Toyota (TM) is planning to add solar panels to the roof of its popular Prius hybrid early next year to power the vehicles air conditioning and would be the first major manufacturer to do so. Looks like Toyota is continuing to lead with innovation.… Read the rest