2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery Rumors that General Motors may get access to Toyota’s proprietary hybrid technology just won’t go away . Today, Bloomberg cites two unnamed sources in reports that Toyota President Akio Toyoda and GM chief Fritz Henderson will meet this August in Michigan to discuss the possibility of a GM-badged version of the Toyota Prius hybrid hatchback. For the record, both General Motors and Toyota have repeatedly denied that any such talks have taken place and have said it’s unlikely that they ever will in the future. Many of these rumors indicate that the two automakers are considering building the Prius together at the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture in California, but GM has today announced that its involvement in NUMMI is over . It remains a possibility that Toyota will fully take over the reigns at NUMMI to finally build the Prius in America, but even if that’s the case, it’s extremely unlikely that General Motors will have anything to do with the project in light of its own massive undertaking of readying the Chevy Volt for the market in 2011. Gallery: Review: 2010 Toyota Prius Photos copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. [Source: Bloomberg ] Filed under: Hybrid , Manufacturing/Plants , GM , Toyota REPORT: GM execs to meet with Toyota regarding hybrid sharing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

While the argument about whether a Hummer H2 is actually more environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius has long since been debunked (even if it keeps popping up its ugly head ), it does raise a valid point. A major part of the environmental impact of transportation devices like cars and trucks comes during the manufacturing and disposal phases of their existences. Evaluating environmental impact requires total lifecycle analysis of the product, something that Toyota has done for the new 2010 Prius. The Tsutsumi plant that builds the Prius is one of five ISO14001 certified Eco-factories in the Toyota network. The factory has a 50,000m 2 solar array on its roof that generates 5,000 2,000 kW per hour of electricity, about half of the plant’s total requirements. Another 22,000m 2 of the factory is covered in a photocatalytic paint that converts NOx CO 2 to oxygen and nitrogen. A number of initiatives including zero land-fill waste, water recycling and reduced volatile organic compound use are all part of the overall effort to reduce the impact of building Priuses. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Toyota] Continue reading Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants , Solar , Toyota Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery Volkswagen seems to have a nice success story on its hands in the form of the latest Jetta TDI . In April, VW moved 2,253 Jetta TDIs. Last month, that number surged to 3,862, which accounts for about 36-percent of total Jetta sales. Similar sales figures are expected in June. Interestingly, dealerships across much of the United States are reporting particularly strong demand for the SportWagen version of the oil burner. Diesel-powered station wagons in Amerca? Sign us up! One possible reason why Jetta TDI sales are on the rise may be the decline diesel fuel prices, which have remained slightly below the cost of regular-grade gasoline for the last few months and well below that of premium gasoline. That explanation would help explain why Mercedes-Benz has also seen an increasing percentage of M-Class, GL-Class and R-Class models sold with diesel engines. Whatever the reason, it’s good to see diesels selling well (relatively) in the U.S. for a change. Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI [Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Filed under: Diesel , Volkswagen , USA Demand for VW Jetta TDI remains strong in U.S. originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery Volkswagen seems to have a nice success story on its hands in the form of the latest Jetta TDI . In April, VW moved 2,253 Jetta TDIs. Last month, that number surged to 3,862, which accounts for about 36-percent of total Jetta sales. Similar sales figures are expected in June. Interestingly, dealerships across much of the United States are reporting particularly strong demand for the SportWagen version of the oil burner. Diesel-powered station wagons in Amerca? Sign us up! One possible reason why Jetta TDI sales are on the rise may be the decline diesel fuel prices, which have remained slightly below the cost of regular-grade gasoline for the last few months and well below that of premium gasoline. That explanation would help explain why Mercedes-Benz has also seen an increasing percentage of M-Class, GL-Class and R-Class models sold with diesel engines. Whatever the reason, it’s good to see diesels selling well (relatively) in the U.S. for a change. Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI [Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Filed under: Diesel , Volkswagen , USA Demand for VW Jetta TDI remains strong in U.S. originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery Reports have been flying rampant over the last few days that General Motors and Toyota would be entering a joint agreement to share Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology through the two automaker’s NUMMI joint venture. It appears the rumors began when Bloomberg ran a story quoting unnamed sources saying the Japanese automaker is considering producing the Prius at the plant it shares with GM in California. Toyota denies that report as pure speculation, with Mike Goss, external affairs manager with Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, telling Green Car Advisor that it still plans to assemble the Prius at its unfinished plant in Mississippi at some point in the future. General Motors also denies that it will license hybrid technology from Toyota. In a webchat session on GM’s Fastlane Blog, Troy Clarke, President of GM North America, said of the rumors: We are not in current discussions with Toyota on licensing their synergy drive. I would point out that we are working like crazy on our own hybrid technology. Also, we are really moving fast on the Volt of which you are well aware . At this point, there seems to be no real evidence that General Motors and Toyota will share hybrid technology. Plus, as we’ve pointed out before , the whole rumor in general makes little sense. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Green Car Advisor ] Filed under: Hybrid , Manufacturing/Plants , GM , Toyota GM and Toyota deny reports of hybrid sharing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery The third generation Toyota Prius is just ramping up its marketing mojo, and one place you’ll see plenty of the gold standard hybrid is at the gas pump, at least virtually. Toyota is hooking up with Gas Station TV to present “Prius Neighborhood” television program to the over 1 million unique viewers that stare at LCD TVs while they fuel up. Prius Neighborhood is the latest effort to intertwine social media with traditional communication tools. Anyone can submit grassroots and community events via the GSTV website , and select events will actually appear at the pump, sandwiched between ads for the 50 mpg hybrid. Those interested in following events on Prius Neighborhood can do so on Facebook, as well as Twitter at @GSTVevents. The site contains a calender of charity and community events searchable by zip code, and some of the events will be chosen for air on GSTV. GSTV airs in over 1,000 gas stations in the U.S., hitting 22 of the 25 top markets. Hit the jump to view the GSTV press release. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius - First Drive [Source: IT News Online ] Continue reading Get ready to see more Priuses at the pump in your neighborhood this summer Filed under: Green Culture , Toyota Get ready to see more Priuses at the pump in your neighborhood this summer originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

There are surely lots of ways to go about comparing the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. While both machines come only in a five-door hatchback bodystyle and are available solely with a hybrid powertrain, the two vehicles differ widely when it comes to size, price, available technology and performance - whether that performance is measured as fuel efficiency, handling, top speed or acceleration. iMOTOR in the UK decided to stack the two hybrids up against one another in a number of these performance categories, and to do a little comparison on the drag strip. Not surprisingly, neither car was particularly sprightly in acceleration tests, but the Toyota’s larger gasoline engine and more powerful electric motor allowed it to cover the quarter-mile in less time than its rival from Honda. Interested in knowing how the two hybrids compare in other interesting categories? We won’t spoil it for you. Click here to read the review and watch the video from iMOTOR. [Source: iMOTOR ] Filed under: Hybrid , Honda , Toyota , UK VIDEO: Prius takes on Insight … on the drag strip? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery Auto sales are down - that’s not exactly a surprise to anyone anymore. But Toyota has revived a little something from last summer called a wait list - for people who are interested in buying a new 2010 Prius . According to a story in The New York Times, Toyota is running its Prius production plants in Japan 24 hours a day and offering overtime to workers - even bringing in workers from other areas of the country - to meet demand for the hybrid car. Panasonic EV Energy, the Prius’ battery supplier, is also working constantly to keep churning out packs for the model. This is the effect of those higher-than-expected sales numbers . The NYT says that the waiting list is “several months” long in Japan. While impressive considering the marketplace, Toyota is still warning that 2009 will not be a profitable year for the company. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: The New York Times ] Filed under: Hybrid , Toyota One More Time: There’s a Toyota Prius wait list? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Martin Eberhard has obviously been busy these last few weeks. With a lawsuit currently pending in court against Tesla Motors and its CEO Elon Musk, Eberhard has apparently still had enough time to write an interesting article on the effects of blogging and how it helped build the Tesla Roadster. Specifically, Martin is referring to Tesla’s official blog, the first post of which Eberhard wrote shortly after the Roadster’s official launch back in the summer of 2006. According to Eberhard, blogging promotes transparency and builds credibility, is the ultimate real-time focus group, supports team building and is the single most efficient tool for reaching mainstream media. Those points, along with the importance of a blogger having “a voice,” make up the subheadings of Martin’s article. It’s an interesting read, and if you’re so inclined, click here for the entire posting. [Source: Tendo Communications ] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Tesla Motors Martin Eberhard: Blogs built the Tesla Roadster originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

As companies like Ford know, eliminating semi truck miles from the supply chain has a noticeable greening effect . But what if those trucks were electric powered with a diesel range extender and solar panels built in? Oh, and what if they were much larger than current trucks and able to carry 65 tons worth of stuff? Why, if you had all that - along with regenerative brakes and an aerodynamic design - then you’d have Kenyan designer Kioko Muthui’s Highly Sophisticated Transporter (HST). Designed as a “vision for future long-distance road haulage” (see, not all dreams are dead), the HST “would feature extraordinary fuel efficiency, a significantly improved driving experience, a higher level of active and passive safety, and enhanced environmental and infrastructural considerations.” As a thought experiment, it’s quite cool. Plus, the renderings show the HST to be a Daimler product. Cool. For more information, check out this brochure of the HST in PDF . Gallery: Highly Sophisticated Transporter (HST) [Source: TreeHugger ] Filed under: MPG , Solar Meet the HST (Highly Sophisticated Transporter), a large, green semi-truck originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments