Back in 1997, Toyota introduced the original Prius, which was the first mass-produced hybrid-electric vehicle. Its 10-year journey took it across the globe, making it one of the best made hybrid cars to date, having supremacy over other hybrid vehicles.

But it was easy when your competition came from one or two other Japanese car makers who couldn’t get the battery systems or vehicle design right at first. But as 2011 comes even closer, every Joe-blow company from Chevy to Honda, Ford and soon even Kia has its own line of hybrid variants. And with others selling their hybrids for thousands less, how can Toyota survive?

It’s a question of reputation, quality and loyalty. Those three items make this a recipe for success. Sure, Prius has come under fire in recent months of supposedly trying to kill one or two of its owners… but hey, maybe that one guy in California deserved to have his wits scared out of him.

Prius has the name – it is well known as the first and best hybrid out there. Toyota, even after all that braking issues stuff, remains a favorite of car buyers, and the sale figures show.

2011′s upcoming hybrid, along with a full electric plug-in version, have a number of fun additions. These include a moonroof with solar panels, four driving modes, Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA), and steering wheel touch controls.

The first-generation Prius was rated 41 EPA mpg, and the second-generation model pushed that figure to 46 mpg. The 2010 model marks another significant incremental improvement to 50 miles per gallon (combined city/highway). And a larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine powers the car.

An electric water pump and a new exhaust gas recirculation system also boost efficiency. Furthermore, the engine has no belts under the hood, resulting in better fuel economy and less potential maintenance. The new transaxle and inverter are both 20 percent lighter, reducing the car’s overall weight.

The new Prius offers three alternative driving modes. EV-Drive Mode allows driving on battery power alone at low speeds for about a mile, if conditions permit. There is also a Power Mode, which increases sensitivity to throttle input for a sportier feel, and an Eco Mode, which helps the driver achieve the best possible mileage.

Other energy-saving features include available LED low beams and taillights, a more efficient air conditioning system, and a unique ventilation fan that promises to reduce the need for air conditioning in the first place.

The air circulator — which is powered by solar panels — prevents the interior air temperature from rising while the vehicle is parked. This, in turn, makes cool-down time shorter when the driver returns to the vehicle.

Toyota says it listened to customer feedback, and sharpened handling, reduced road noise, increased interior volume, and improved acceleration. The zero to 60 mph sprint takes 9.8 seconds now — an improvement of over one second. Disc brakes are now used on all four corners, replacing the front disc/rear drum brakes in the current model.

However, around the bend comes Chevy’s Volt, Honda’s $18,500 Insight and Nissan’s Leaf EV. Toyota might have to step up its game even more, outside of moon-roofs and solar panels, to remain in the hybrid game.

Specs: LeftLaneNews

The Japanese auto maker will start selling a $148 speaker system in Japan on August 30, which will play sounds under the hood to help it achieve the “same noise level as a regular car engine.”

Toyota will be selling the speaker system in Japan only at first, and the purchase is voluntary. But a Toyota rep told Associated Press that “the company is considering bringing the feature to the United States and other markets.”

Toyota isn’t alone. According to the AP, other car competition with hybrid vehicles are also determining how to increase the sound of their green autos to keep pedestrians safe.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists than other vehicles.

Much of it was due to a rebounding auto market in the United States where a fall in loan defaults and rising sales produced boyant numbers at Toyota’s financial services arm which accounted for 85 percent of its total North American operating profit.

There is more good news for Toyota, which took a hit on U.S. consumers’ view of the brand with the recalls. According to YouGov BrandIndex, a company that tracks consumers’ attitudes towards brands, Toyota is back to an overall positive image.

Source: WCF

According to The New York Times, “Late last month, the companies — to much fanfare in California — went public with plans to build an auto plant in Fremont, Calif., with Toyota committing its expertise to help San Carlos-based Tesla with electric drive chain technology and building its Model S electric sedan.”

“We intend to use this facility for the production of our planned Model S and future vehicles,” explained Tesla officials, adding that they are still “in an early stage of planning for this facility.”

Tesla and Toyota had to go public with some of the plan’s details in order to submit offerings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Though neither the SEC nor Tesla will post an exact date of when shared production will begin.

Toyota will lend parts and support (which probably means money) to the production of Tesla’s new plug-in electric car, the Model S, which they hope to sell for the 2012 fiscal year.

it be that Toyota actually planted that story in the Wall Street Journal? Is Toyota in on a high level automotive conspiracy that even the WSJ isn’t immune from? Will they tell us whatever they chose, leading us to believe it’s fact instead of fiction? Where’s Mulder & Scully!?! And we need the real ones, not the Kimberly Kane adult movie spoof versions! (Although, she’s a really good Scully too).

According to Jalopnik, “An unnamed spokesperson at NHTSA, the U.S. agency responsible for examining Toyota unintended acceleration problems, claims last week’s Wall Street Journal story asserting “driver error” was the main cause, was planted by Toyota.” Though the blog and pretty much anyone else involved say that, even though the story was planted, it probably was indeed driver error.

You see, somewhere around 99% of these “Sudden Acceleration” accidents are caused by the driver, not the vehicle itself. So, Toyota might have jumped the gun, sending this bit of info to the Wall Street Journal, but that doesn’t mean it’s false – just in poor taste. This too, is how Toyota (and any other smart company) gets out of paying off a lot of wrongful death lawsuits.

Also from Jalopnik: “A Wall Street Journal article from this past week claimed that initial findings from the US Department of Transportation (DOT), of which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a part, stated that drivers have been to blame for the unintended acceleration by pressing the wrong pedals.”

However, NHTSA, the body responsible for examining the Toyota pedal problems in the US, has firmly rebutted claims the story came from the safety organization. An anonymous NHTSA spokeswoman even went so far as to claim “that story was planted by Toyota” to the publication just-auto. She went on,”Toyota is the source – yes we know that for definite. It is [the] Toyota PR machine. We knew they were going to put it out.”

Stay tuned folks, because like Mulder we all want to believe.

Source: Jalopnik

The project is part of a global initiate by the Japanese auto maker, which involves 600 plug-in Prius vehicles sent to the United States, Canada, England and Australia.

Each plug-in Toyota Prius is almost identical to the third generations hybrid car on the roads of America and the UK today. But there is one distinct difference: each is equipped with a 240-volt rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack for power.

According to the press release: The rechargeable battery technology gives Prius Plug-in extended capabilities when it is driven in EV (electric vehicle) mode: capable of running for up to 12.5 miles solely on its electric motor – battery charge and road conditions permitting – at speeds up to 62mph, it can accomplish the great majority of typical urban journeys with zero fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions.

Prius Plug-in’s combined cycle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are 108.6mpg and 59g/km respectively.

Toyota posted a surprisingly large $2.2 billion profit for their fiscal year, which concluded on March 31 2010. The amount was a massive improvement over their previous annual net total, a 437 billion yen loss.

Many of Toyota’s most popular vehicles have been the center of attention due to accusations of malfunctioning acceleration, braking, and steering mechanisms. Several lawsuits have already been filed against the company by consumers and shareholders, while the automaker has had to pay a $16.4 million fine levied by the U.S. government.

Source: WorldCarFans

Many of you have checked out the all new Toyota Prius at your local dealership. Some have even taken the Prius hybrid for a test drive. But how about a spin in the upcoming Prius Plug-in? Much like it’s gas-electric twin, Toyota’s Prius Plug-in holds that classic aerodynamic sedan form, made famous by the Japanese auto maker and their best-selling hybrid car.

But two very noticeable exterior traits separate it from the hybrid – Toyota’s Plug-in decals and the charging port. Behind that port door is a J1772 plug, which connects to three separate battery packs: the main hybrid battery and two sub-battery packs – all of which are lithium-ion. Prius Plug-in can be charged using standard American 110V or 220v outlets, requiring 3 hours to 1.5 hours of charge time respectively.

Under it’s hood, Prius Plug-in contains a completely new battery powered, rechargeable all electric engine. This allows for up to 60 miles per hour in full EV mode, with extra power taken from a 1.8L Atkinson engine.

Inside, the Plug-in Prius loses a bit of cargo room due to its three battery packs. But the vehicle still seats up to five passengers comfortably. Extras coming from Toyota include a leak sealant and battery-run air compressor, to be used in the event of a flat tire.

Source: EV World

Toyota’s 4Runner, which is build on the same frame as GX 460, will have a special eye kept on it during testing. Although, during the same run, Consumer Reports did not find the same issues with 4Runner. This may be because 4Runner’s body is wider then it’s Lexus twin. This announcement follows a recall of 600,000 Toyota Minivans.

“Toyota said it is testing stability-control systems on all of its SUVs and that it has had no complaints from customers in regards to the problems stated by Consumer Reports. According to the magazine’s testers, the slow reaction of the vehicle’s electronic stability control system when a driver takes it around a corner while quickly lifting off the throttle can lead to a situation called “lift oversteer,” which in conjunction with the vehicle’s weight and tire specification can potentially lead to a rollover.”

Via: Motor Authority