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
Consumer Reports provides an interesting look into the Top 10 cars purchased on Cash For Clunkers rebates and the Top 10 vehicles that were traded in.
Toyota (TM) is the clear winner with its Toyota Corolla taking the top spot, followed by the Honda with its Civic model taking the #2 spot. The Toyota Prius proved popular as well at the #6 spot. Ford is the only US manufacturer in the top 10 (Ford Focus … Read the rest
Sanyo (OTC:SANYY) shares continue to rally along with Panasonic (PC) shares (which plans to merge with Sanyo) on news that Toyota (TM) plans to begin purchasing lithium batteries from Sanyo beginning in 2011 according to a Reuters source who remains anonymous since the info hasn’t been made official yet. Toyota plans to purchase about 10,000 batteries a year and rumor has it that they’ll use it in a minivan hybrid expected to launch in about … 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
Toyota Motors (TM) has taken a beating along with the rest of the market over concerns of a crumbling global economy, but with the move to hybrid and electric cars well underway and expected to continue (despite a temporary decline in fuel prices) Toyota will continue to benefit big as a leader in the fuel efficiency revolution.
Is it time to take a look at Toyota as an investment? The stock is now trading about … Read the rest
Toyota Motor (TM) and Sunpower (SPWR) have announced the completion of the largest single room solar power installation (2.3MW) in North America at Toyota’s North America Parts Center in Ontario, California.
The installation is expected to provide 60% of the total electricity needs for the 760K sq foot building and includes 10417 T10 Solar Roof Tiles, the most efficient in the industry. The company expects to avoid 6.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every … Read the rest
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