Just a day after Google was awarded a driver’s license for its self-driving car, the tech giant brought one of its autonomous Toyota Prius out to Washington D.C. in hopes to make driverless cars legal in the United States.

It appears that Google made its way to the nation’s capital in hopes to appeal to federal policymakers and to maybe convince some to take a ride in its self-driving Prius. We’ve already seen what it can do for a blind man, and Google’s main focus right now is to prove its benefits to lawmakers. For the most part, Google is confident in the technology developed in its self-driving cars, its biggest concern now is for the public to widely accept the benefits of having autonomous vehicles on the road.

But of course, the U.S. government has been officially tight-lipped on the issue of autonomous vehicles with the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology stating that it had no knowledge of Google’s plans of operating its Prius out in D.C.

[Source: Wired]

Rounding off the first quarter of 2012, April brought some interesting sales stories. GM and Ford were both down a few points, Chrysler was up a whopping 20 percent and Toyota seemed to be on the mend compared to last year, but who would have guessed the Prius Plug-In would be a big winner?

Continue Reading…

Toyota continues to enjoy success with its Prius family of models, as its plug-in hybrid sold 1,654 units in the month of April.

The sales figure trumps its main competitors, the Chevrolet Volt (1,462 sold) and the Nissan Leaf (370 sold) making it the most popular plug-in vehicle last month in America. It’s no huge surprise that the plug-in variant of the Prius is selling well compared to its counterparts, considering how well-known the Prius moniker has become over the years.

Last month the Japanese automaker also saw the highest sales total for its Prius models ever for the month of April, moving a combined figure of 25,168 units across all its model variants. In total, Toyota sold 30,126 hybrids while its luxury division Lexus moved a respectable 2,467. Compared to April 2011, Toyota’s hybrid sales saw a huge jump of 124.6 percent, but it’s worth noting that April 2011 was also after the disastrous tsunami that hindered vehicle production.

“Thanks to continued strong sales of Camry and Prius family, Toyota was America’s number one retail brand for the second straight month,” said Bob Carter, general manager of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “With consumer confidence improving, we expect to see sustained industry growth in the months ahead.”

With the family of Prius models growing, Toyota is hoping to have production in the U.S. by the time the next-generation Prius model hits the streets in 2015.

Continue Reading…

Ford recently announced the EPA fuel efficiency rating for its electric Focus model. Since it doesn’t burn any gasoline, the number isn’t in miles per gallon (MPG), but was given as miles per gallon gasoline equivalent, or MPGe. A new term to the automotive lexicon, it’s worth exploring exactly what MPGe means and how an MPGe rating is determined, especially as the number of electric cars and plug-in electric hybrids on the roads continues to increase.

Continue Reading…

Price, looks and size… these are the few factors that used to decide what vehicle you’d park in your driveway. Looking for a cheap and small car? A Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic will do. Need something bigger, perhaps a mid-size Hyundai Sonata or an SUV. Things used to be pretty easy.

With increasingly high gas prices and an overall movement towards green, fuel efficient vehicles, fuel economy has become more important. In fact, for many price, looks and size are now completely trumped by fuel economy.

“Buyers just look at the MPG on the sticker,” says IHS Automotive Analyst Devin Lindsay commenting that car buyers are now completely mesmerized by the EPA sticker label.

Take a look at the Toyota Prius, for example. It’s not terribly big, is fairly expensive, and looks… well… weird. But that didn’t stop three million of them from being sold, all thanks to a hybrid gas-electric engine that provides excellent fuel economy.

The Prius isn’t the only option for someone looking for a fuel efficient car, however; especially those in search of a more engaging driving experience. If you want to cut down on trips to the pump, and still drive a fun, powerful, good looking car, your best bet might just be in a diesel powered vehicle. That does mean you’ll almost certainly have to drive German, although a flood of new diesel-powered vehicles are about to hit our shore.

Continue Reading…

Self-driving cars aren’t new, but if electric vehicles’ slow adoption rates among U.S. consumers are any measure of new technology acceptance then autonomous cars can’t be close at hand, or can they?

According to a speech given by Larry Burns, former General Motors research and development head, we can expect such technology by 2020. Unless you’ve been ignoring auto news, that sentence might seem strange. We already have cars that drive themselves, even to Taco Bell drive-through windows, courtesy of Google.

Continue Reading…

What’s the real benefit to autonomous cars? To be able to eat your Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch while it drives you to your destination of course.

In all seriousness, Google’s self-driving car just did its biggest and best promotional video yet. The autonomous Toyota Prius shuttled around Steve Mahan, a legally blind man, through a day of errands.

Google’s self-driving Prius has completed over 200,000 miles of computer-led travel and one of their favorite moments was a carefully programmed route for Steve Mahan to show off the benefits of autonomous vehicles. While this was mostly a technical experiment in Google’s eyes, we believe it opens up the rest of the world’s eyes on just how beneficial the technology could be if safety standards could be met.

Without ever touching the pedals or steering wheel, the legally blind Steve Mahan got to enjoy some Taco Bell drive-through and was able to pick up his dry cleaning, something he wouldn’t have been able to do on his own having lost 95 percent of his vision. Steve Mahan was also labeled as self-driving car user #0000000001 by Google.

According to the end of the video, it was created with the assistance of the Morgan Hill Police Department and the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center in San Jose, California.

While its a good thing for the blind, the world had better be careful. If this goes too far, steering might be considered exercise.

Check out the video of Steve Mahan driven around after the break.

[Source: CNet]

Continue Reading…

The Toyota Prius GT300 race car debuted at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, looking ready to compete in the 2012 Super GT season. But things didn’t go as planned when the team took to testing its race car out at Okayama Circuit prior to the season opener.

We’re sure all the Toyota haters out there would find this the perfect time to make fun of the Prius for catching fire, but let’s keep in mind this is a complete race car and can hardly compare to what we see on the streets. So don’t expect any Chevrolet Volt comparisons from us, especially since it’s already been revealed that the cause of the fire was from a faulty fuel line rather than any issues in the vehicle’s hybrid system.

Thankfully it appears that much of the damage is cosmetic and the driver was unharmed when leaked fuel caught onto the exhaust, igniting the fire. The team is confident that they’ll have their Prius race car ready to roll at the season opener in Okayama.

Watch the video of the Toyota Prius GT300 race car on fire after the break.

[Source: Hanzo Autobuzz]

Continue Reading…

Toyota is the brand to beat when it comes to hybrid vehicles, and the recently launched Prius c subcompact helps reinforce that trend. 

According to Toyota, the Prius c, which launched on March 12, has sold 1,201 in its first three days on the market, making it one of the company’s fastest selling vehicles.

In just three days, the Prius c outsold the February sales of the Volt, and Leaf, which sold 1,023, and 478 respectively.

The fact that gas prices in the US could hit $4.00 a gallon as early as memorial day certainly make the Prius c a shining beacon of hope for drivers who hope to save some money at the pump with the 53 mpg fuel economy rating.  The under $19,000 price tag doesn’t hurt either.

As a whole, the Prius family of vehicles (the Prius, Prius c and Prius v) sold almost 10,000 units during the first half of March.

You can check out our review of the Prius c right here

Board games aren’t popular like they used to be, thanks to the wealth of electronic entertainment available today. Still, many of us probably remember the Game of Life which is probably what Toyota is banking on with their new ad campaign for the Prius c.

Targeted towards first-time car buyers, Toyota leveraged its partnership with Hasbro to incorporate The Game of Life in its new “Malti-poo” ad. Another commercial will follow called “Dolphin Tattoo,” both of which will feature bright colors and bold imagery similar to the board game.

While the ads may seem weird, we applaud the Japanese automaker for realizing that a new generation is buying and that old sales tactics might now work.

“The Prius c campaign acknowledges the fact that buying a car is a big decision, as well as a new experience for many in this demographic,” said Bill Fay, group vice president, marketing, Toyota. “We wanted to give our customers something entertaining and engaging, yet familiar, they could identify with while introducing a vehicle to help them navigate this exciting new chapter in their lives.”

The Game of Life ads won’t only be TV commercials, Toyota will also be adding interactive digital elements to apps and other social networking sites like Facebook.

The Prius c is the newest addition to the growing Prius family, offering 53/46 mpg city/highway with a starting price of just $18,950. You can read and watch our review here.

Watch the quirky “Malti-poo” commercial after the break.

Continue Reading…

For the ninth month in a row, the top-selling car in Japan is the Toyota Prius, helping hybrids make up more than 20-percent of all auto sales in Japan.

In February, Toyota sold 35,875 Prius hybrids, while the Honda Fit came in second place with 24,973 units sold. That’s quite the gap, especially considering third place was the new Toyota Aqua (Prius c in America – read our review here) that sold 21,951.

Hybrid models are now making up nearly half of Toyota total sales in Japan while Honda announced that 60-percent of their Fit sales are hybrid variants. Rounding off the top five was the Honda Freed in fourth place (13,293 sold) and the Toyota Vitz in fifth (11,288 sold). Over 40-percent of the Honda Freed sales are also hybrids.

The more interesting news is the fact that the Aqua hybrid production isn’t even keeping up with demand. The Japanese automaker originally planned to build 12,000 Aquas per month but now overwhelming demand has customers waiting almost six months for their vehicle if they placed their orders today.

[Source: HybridCars]

Toyota worked hard to bring the Prius nameplate from obscurity to common parlance, whether its loved by save-the-planet tree huggers or hated by gas-wasting macho men, few can feign ignorance to the world’s most iconic hybrid.

“With the four cars, you’re seeing the entire Prius family short-term. For the long term, we continue to evaluate it. I certainly have things that I’d love to see evolve,” Toyota divisions group vice president and general manager, Bob Carter said.

With the advent of the Prius V and Prius C, it’s clear that Toyota wants to expand the Prius offerings for broader appeal. Toyota even teased the idea of a Prius light truck.

“So, no, you’re not going to see us put a hybrid in a truck if it doesn’t meet that. I would never support anything with a Prius badge that is sub-40 mpg (5.9 L/100 km). We’re not going to put a hybrid in the Tundra (fullsize-pickup truck) and call it the Prius Tundra,” said Carter.

Toyota is expecting 220,000 Prius deliveries this year in the U.S., with the V and C projected to make up 15-20 percent of that number. Toyota has a major goal set for themselves of having every model in the U.S. lineup sporting a hybrid variant by 2020, and with this in mind, the Prius family looks like it’s set to keep growing.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Read AutoGuide’s Toyota Prius c Review here or watch below for our video review:

Continue Reading…

Toyota confirmed today that the 2012 Prius Plug-In has been approved for the State of California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP).

The CVRP is a consumer incentive made available in addition to the $2,500 Federal Tax credit for qualified vehicles. The 2012 Prius Plug-In has started to arrive at dealerships, and will also be eligible for the State of California’s HOV lane sticker.

The Prius Plug-In will be eligible for a $1,500 rebate that will be given to consumers on a first come, first serve basis. That rebate will be available to anyone who purchases or leases a Prius Plug-In for 36 months or longer.

The Prius Plug-In features a new Lithium-ion battery, boosting overall fuel economy and offers convenient charging times of only 2.5 to 3 hours using a standard 120-volt outlet, or 1.5 hours with a 240-volt outlet. The Plug-In also comes in an “Advanced” model which adds additional standard features of Premium HDD Navigation with Entune, Plug-In Hybrid Applications through a smartphone, Head-up Display, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and more.

The base MSRP for the Prius Plug-In Hybrid is $32,000 while the Advanced has an MSRP of $39,525. Both models are eligible for up to $4,000 in government-supported incentives – $2,500 federal tax credit and $1,500 CVRP.

A national rollout of Prius Plug-in is planned for 2013. At launch, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be available in the following 14 states:

• California
• Oregon
• Washington
• Arizona
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Connecticut
• New York
• New Jersey
• Maryland
• Virginia.

You might believe that a high-tech hybrid might cost you an arm and a leg, but the Prius c may surprise you.

Toyota has officially announced the pricing and trim levels of the new Prius c. There will be four versions available, each called grades. Each grade will come with the same hybrid power train, and safety features.

The ticket to 50mpg costs $18,950 for the first grade.  If you want more in your Prius c, you can opt for one of the other grades, each offering more options than the next. Grade two costs $19,900 and offers convenience features like intermittent wipers, fold down rear seats, cruise control, better speakers and center console with armrest and storage.

To get your geek on, you’ll have to pay $21,635 and go for grade three, which has Toyota’s Entune infotainment system. The Entune system has a 6.1-inch touch-screen with navigation and premium audio services that connect to your iPod. Entune also packs in real-time traffic and weather information, and can even help you find a place to eat, using the Bing, and OpenTable integration. Grade Three also comes with bluetooth hands-free phone, and voice commands and door handles which can be locked, or unlocked with one touch.

Lastly there is Grade four, which has everything grade three has to offer, as well as 15-inch alloys, foglights, heated seats and power outside mirrors. Grade four will cost $23,230.

Extra optional equipment is only available for the Grade Three and Four models.

Buyers can expect the Prius c in dealerships as soon as March. For more information on the 2012 Toyota Prius c check out our review.

The overwhelming demand in Japan for the new Toyota Prius c (known as the Toyota Aqua Hybrid) could affect the number of vehicles the US receives when they start to arrive in March.

Toyota reported that they have received 120,000 orders in Japan for their new compact hybrid sedan, a number 10-times the 12,000 they were targeting per month.

The smaller compact hybrid, produced by Toyota subsidiary Kanto Auto Works Ltd. in the northern prefecture of Iwate, could see a boost in production from 240,000 a year to 320,000 a year. Currently a customer that orders the Aqua Hybrid in Japan will have to wait until at least July to get their vehicle, causing us to wonder how this will affect American availability.

“We haven’t set a sales plan for the United States yet, and so we can’t say how much the affect would be,” Toyota spokeswoman Amiko Tomita said. In the past, Toyota had no problems diverting Prius production back to its home country, leaving America with shortages. The Prius c could also be in high demand in America, with its fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain and its below $20,000 MSRP. Current Prius owners seeking the best bang for their buck might have no problems “trading down” to the smaller, more efficient, and cheaper hybrid.

GALLERY: Toyota Prius c

[Source: Autoweek]

About two months ago we reported a collection of luxurious and exotic machines that were involved in a bizarre accident in Japan that claimed at least eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini, a Nissan Skyline and a Toyota Prius.

The exotic car crash occurred on the Chugoku Expressway out in the Yamaguchi Prefecture and fortunately only ten people were hospitalized with just minor injuries.

Now a video of the aftermath from that accident has surfaced and it appears that Japan is now home to at least two parking lots full of fine machines just sitting and rotting. This accident is now being dubbed “the world’s most expensive car pileup” with an estimated combined cost of $4-million in damage.

Take a closer look at the Italian carnage after the break.

[Source: Carscoop]

Continue Reading…

Toyota is updating its figures for the Prius Plug-in Hybrid model ahead of the car’s launch, with improved numbers for both the MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating and the remaining hybrid drive mpg rating. Previously Toyota had claimed the plug-in Prius would achieve 87 mpge using the electric mode and a 49 mpg once the battery pack energy is depleted and the car resumes operation as a conventional Prius.

The new numbers announced by Toyota Division Group VP and GM Bob Carter at a launch program for the Prius c put the plug-in model at an improved 95 mpge, while the regular hybrid drive operation has increased one mpg to 50. That MPGe number is now just one shy of the Chevy Volt.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid will get a 15 mile range on electric energy alone, at speeds of up to 62 mph. In addition, the car will gain a AT-PZEV emission rating meaning it will qualify for access to California’s HOV lanes.

First deliveries of the Prius plug-in hybrid to customers will take place in March.

After almost a year since regulators closed Toyota’s unintended acceleration investigation, independent auto-safety firm Safety Research and Strategies announced Tuesday that a lawsuit has been filed in federal court requesting for the government to release internal records of said investigation.

According to Safety Research and Strategies, there is reason to believe that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withheld documents and videos that suggest unintended acceleration incidents were caused by electronics systems rather than floor mats or driver error.

Concerned that evidence of electrical defects in Toyota vehicles have been ignored or concealed, the lawsuit demands all transcripts, recordings, photographs, and videotapes generated from two federal investigators that went to visit the home of senior government official, Joseph H. McClelland, who has experienced unintended acceleration in his 2003 Toyota Prius hybrid.

According to a sworn statement from Mr. McClelland, investigators came to visit his home on May 17th, and documented evidence of sudden acceleration during an accompanied test drive. Mr. McClelland claimed the car over-accelerated in three distinct occasions as electronic displays began to blink wildly. The investigators videotaped the events and inspected floormats to determine the cause. After the drive, the two investigators even connected a computer to the car to read software codes.

Mr. McClelland said, “[The investigators] generally seemed excited. They said they hadn’t seen a vehicle display this type of behavior before, capturing the information in real time, and they said this could be an important vehicle for the sudden accelerations and it might help put some pieces together.”

Ultimately, NHTSA did not follow up with the investigation since the agency believes it’s possible the vehicle’s age and high mileage (280,000 miles) could have been the cause of any number of issues.

Upon learning about McClelland’s incident and inquiry, Safety Research and Strategies co-founder Sean Kane requested for the documents pertaining the McClelland investigation. However, photos and videos were denied and Sean Kane only received six pages of the 22 page case file.

In regards to the lawsuit, Sean Kane explained, “This is all about transparency. This is an agency that selectively releases data that fits its narrative that electronics are not at fault in sudden acceleration.”

NHTSA responded that the agency had already carefully reviewed more than 40,000 complaints each year. There are no plans to reopen the unintended acceleration investigation.

[Source: The New York Times]

We’ve seen a lot of strange things come out of Japan’s aftermarket over the years, but this might be the most ridiculous thing yet. Relax Cabin, a Japanese aftermarket company, specializes in camper conversions and apparently thought Toyota Prius owners would have a demand for such a thing.

We guess there’s a remote possibility that someone that owns a Prius would be interested in something like this, but given that the conversion adds over 20-inches to the length of the car and 22-inches to the height, we’re guessing all aerodynamic tweaks Toyota made to make the Prius as fuel efficient as possible has gone out the window. The massive structure is made from reinforced plastic, and we reckon that it isn’t light, further killing the mpg the Prius is made for.

But those that are interested in giving their Prius a whole new world of versatility also has some options available to them. The Prius’s back seats can drop down to make enough space for a double bed while the top compartment can also house another double bed. If that wasn’t enough, you can add a retractable coffee table or side sofa to your Prius camper van.

We never thought those three words would be used legitimately in the same sentence. Prius. Camper. Van. Sigh.

GALLERY: Relax Cabin Toyota Prius Camper Van

GALLERY: Relax Cabin Toyota Prius Tokyo Auto Salon 2012

The Chevrolet Volt ended the last month of 2011 with its best month of sales to date. Having sold 1,529 Volts in December, GM ended its full year of Volt sales at a total of 7,671 units for 2011.

While this figure is significantly lower than its 10,000 sales goal, Fox News noted that the Volt’s sales performance for its first year easily trump the sales performance of the Toyota Prius on its first year, which only managed to sell 5,600 units all the way back in the year 2000. Today, the Prius is the best-selling hybrid in America and Toyota has sold 136,463 units of Prius models in 2011.

Going forward, Chevrolet aims to sell 45,000 Volts for 2012 and reach a round 60,000 total units worldwide. An ambitious goal, Chevrolet will have to sell a lot more Volts for every quarter of 2012 than the total number of Volts it sold for all of 2011.

[Source: Fox News]

Toyota‘s upcoming Prius c is known in Japan as the Aqua hybrid, and Toyota of Japan is reporting that they’ve received 60,000 orders for the compact sedan as sales start rolling on the new hybrid.

The latest hybrid model from Toyota looks to have a promising start as Toyota hopes to have a monthly sales rate of 12,000 vehicles. Toyota hopes that the Aqua hybrid will help the brand regain sales after taking a dive due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and Thailand’s floods.

Out in Japan though, Toyota is anticipating customers will have a four month wait before they can take possession of their ordered Aqua hybrid. The overwhelming orders in Japan makes the upcoming model seem promising as it prepares for its global debut next year.

Toyota plans on selling the Prius c in 50 different countries and currently its priced very competitively in Japan at about $22,000 based on today’s conversion rates. The Prius c is anticipated to get 50- to 60-mpg with a 1.4L four-cylinder with 74-hp and 82 lb-ft of torque while the electric motor will provide 61-hp and 125 lb-ft of torque for a total of 100-hp combined.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Google’s mission towards to mass market autonomous vehicles took another step forward this week when they were granted a patent for a method of controlling the self-driving car. The patent details how the vehicle can transition from being human-driven to autonomous mode.

The technology raises an interesting thought, where the car could transition to autonomous mode on a section of road that’s dedicated to self-driving cars. Obviously we’re quite a ways out from having all of our roads populated with autonomous vehicles, but by being able to recognize a bar code or a radio tag, a vehicle could switch modes safely – especially knowing that all the vehicles around it are using the same technology.

While a lot of people are skeptical as to why Google is even pursuing this endeavor, we believe in the sake of pushing technology forward, Google is doing everyone a favor. Google of course stands by their desire to ”help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time, and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use.”

Even cooler is the fact that the patent outlines how a vehicle could receive instructions from an Internet address over a wireless network. This could be pretty scary in the wrong hands, that’s for sure. We’re still waiting for the day that our Toyota Prius drives itself to a nearby McDonald’s while telling us the specials that it has for that day. Talk about the possibility of intrusive advertising.

[Source: CNet]

Out in Germany, a new vehicle must be inspected after three years by the TÜV, similar to America’s state-level emissions and inspection process (albeit much more rigorous). After that, residents of Germany then have to get their vehicles inspected every two years and each visit involves an extremely thorough inspection of your vehicle.

Failing the inspection means you have to get it fixed immediately. Fail it again and you won’t receive an inspection sticker and your vehicle will not be permitted to be driven on the road. So with all these vehicles coming in and out for inspections every year, there’s got to be a ton of good ‘ol data waiting to be reported right? Of course, it’s called the TÜV-Report and it won’t be published until December 16th. But of course we have the Internet and those dates mean nothin’ to us!

Between July 2010 and June 2011 an overwhelming 7,779,312 cars were inspected and The Truth About Cars decided to publish the results from all the new cars that got their first inspection after three years, and the results from 10-11 year old cars. At the top of the new car list was Toyota‘s Prius with 1.9-percent complaints, while tied for second place was Toyota’s Auris and Mazda‘s 2. Tied for fourth (and really just rounding out the top five) was Porsche‘s Boxster/Cayman and VW‘s Golf Plus. And at the very bottom of the new car list? Say hello to Dacia’s Logan. This is the second time in a row the Prius has taken the top spot.

Now for the 10-11 year old cars, Porsche’s 911 took the top spot while Toyota’s Rav4, Yaris, and Avensis came in second, third and fourth respectively. Rounding off the top five was Mazda’s MX-5. It’s not a huge surprise that Porsche’s older cars stay on top of the list, with Germans treating them with pristine care and service. The 911 also topped the 6-7 year old bracket and the 8-9 year old bracket. And at the bottom of that list? Ford‘s Ka takes those honors with an astonishingly high 38.9-percent complaint rate. That means more than one out of three Kas leave the inspection without a decal – yikes.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]