Working together for a greener future

The end of last month marked a handshake between competitors.

 Toyota Motor Corporation and Ford Motor Company, two of the world’s leading manufacturers of hybrid vehicles announced August 30 that they plan to collaborate equally in the development of an advanced new hybrid system for light truck and SUV customers. 

 The formal agreement is expected to be signed for next year, but they have already signed a memorandum of understanding on the product development collaboration.

 The collaboration hopes to develop a new hybrid powertrain aimed at bringing greater fuel efficiency to truck and SUV customers without compromising the vehicles’ capabilities.

 This new hybrid powertrain will bring the full hybrid experience of greater fuel efficiency to a new group of truck and SUV customers without compromising the capability they require in their vehicles. Ford andToyotabelieve that their collaboration will allow them to bring these hybrid technologies to customers sooner and more affordably than either company could have accomplished alone.

 We love the idea of a successful partnership that will help bring you a more efficient and affordable addition to your life.  Let’s spend less time on the politics and more time figuring out a better product!

 (See a full article at hybrid.com)

Toyota: Our Technologies. Your Ideas.

Ideas for Good

Toyota Motor continues to build it’s reputation with a campaign using the theme “Ideas for good,” which will seek suggestions from consumers. Big ideas are bigger than cars. Toyota has proved this time and time again by sharing big inventions with the world outside of cars. Everybody has a few good ideas, and Toyota wants to help make some of them a reality. So we’re sharing some of our most innovative technologies with you in the hope that you’ll share your good ideas to improve the world.

The campaign, to be introduced on Monday, invites consumers to come up with new ways to use five existing Toyota Motor technologies, like the advanced parking guidance system that is available on the Toyota Prius; a lifelike human model, nicknamed Thums, that the company’s engineers employ in crash tests; and a solar-powered ventilation system, also from the Prius.

The intent, in other words, is to come up with ideas to use automotive technologies outside the realm of cars and trucks. Toyota Motor is pledging that it will try to bring to fruition the five best ideas submitted by consumers, as judged by an independent panel.

The goal of the campaign is “showing how we can improve the quality of life” of consumers, beyond what its products contribute, said Bill Fay, group vice president for marketing at Toyota Motor Sales USA in Torrance, California.

Beginning on Monday, consumers can go to a section of the Toyota Web site to learn more about the five technologies. They will have until Feb. 28 to submit ideas and one winner in each of the five technology categories could have their idea become a reality. Winners will be determined by a formula based on input from our panel of gurus and the general public.  The judges will narrow the submissions to 25 and those will be announced in April. Toyota is going to let the community vote to pick the five winners sometime in May or June. The winners will get their pick of a new 2011 Prius, 2011 Venza or 2011 Highlander Hybrid.

The company has not earmarked a specific amount of money to help bring the winning ideas to life, Mr. Zeinstra said. “Instead, we’ll see what the ideas are and budget around that.” Together we can do some real good and make a difference we couldn’t have made alone.

Source: The New York Times: Business Day, Media & Advertising 11/8/2010

Toyota’s website / Challenge link: http://www.yourideasforgood.com/about

FUN FACTS!

 

Did you know that “GO” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language?

There are so many interesting and fun facts that you may not know, like that a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world’s nuclear weapons combined in just 10 minutes!  I bet you also didn’t know that on average 100 people choke to death on ball point pens every year!?  You probably won’t be using any more of those as chew toys at work now, huh?

Here are a few great facts about Toyota that you may not know:

• Toyota does business in more than 170 countries worldwide; that’s more countries than McDonald’s has with restaurants in over 100 countries.
• Eighty percent of all Toyotas sold in the last 20 years are still on the road today.
• Toyota is ranked No. 1 in having the greatest percentage of households return to purchase or lease another Toyota vehicle.
• The Toyota Camry has repeatedly been the No. 1 selling car in America. It has also won the U.S. Sales Crown for the 12th time in the last 13 years.
• Toyota annually spends nearly $9 billion (more than $1 million an hour), on research and development toward cars and technologies of the future.
• Toyota spends more on research and development than any company in the world.
• Toyota has won more Total Quality awards than any other automaker.
• Toyota is rated the highest in dependability among all automakers.
• Toyota has the highest owner loyalty of any automaker.
• Toyota Motor Corp. is No. 1 among automakers for patent applications and awards in alternative power technology.
• Toyota has more hybrids on the road than all other automakers.
• Toyota was named one of the world’s most ethical multinational corporations in the 2009 Covalence Ethical Ranking. This was the fourth year the list has been issued, and Toyota made the list each year.
  • (Rankings are based on labor standard, waste management, product social utility and human rights policy data.)
• Toyota Motor Sales and Toyota Financial Services each received a perfect rating for diversity and inclusion by the Human Rights Campaign.

You’ve read the facts for yourself. Toyota is great overall, and that’s a fact!  So GO to Toyota of Newnan where you can surely find great service and quality vehicles.  It’s always good to know the facts!

 

 

Sources:

(TMS news release on New Product Leadership campaign, Sept. 21, 2009, based on 2008 AutoPacific New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey.)

(R.L. Polk & Co., Jan. 13, 2010)

(Automotive News, Nov. 2, 2009)

(Nov. 10, 2009 email from TMC Public Affairs Division)

Plug in your Car!?

Did you know that Toyota invests $1,000,000 per hour on research and development to enhance the safety and technology of its vehicles?  From stereo systems to safety features, Toyota stays on top of the latest technological advances for their vehicles. This is precisely how Toyota of Newnan can quench your technology thirst!  Whatever you’re looking for, we have it!

 The new 2012 plug-in Prius could boost mileage from 50 MPG to 75 MPG.  The vehicle expands Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology with the introduction of a first generation lithium-ion battery that enables all-electric operation at higher speeds and longer distances than the conventional Prius hybrid.

Toyota will offer Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station (DPS) technology, which is the world’s first 100 percent digital audio processing system certified for automotive use. Whether your tastes lean toward rock, R&B, urban or pop, the Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station in your Toyota is like having an expert audio technician inside your dashboard!

Toyota’s Five-Star Safety System includes Vehicle Stability Control, which helps prevent loss of traction by reducing engine power and applying brake force to the wheels that need it.  Traction Control helps maintain traction on wet, icy, loose or uneven surfaces by applying brake force to the spinning wheel(s).  Brake Assist helps detect sudden or “panic” braking and adds full pressure when needed to help prevent a collision.  The Anti-Lock Braking System prevents brakes from locking up by “pulsing” brake pressure to each wheel to help you stay in control in emergency braking situations.  Lastly, the Electronic Brake Force Distribution redistributes brake force to help keep the rear wheels from locking up during sudden braking situations.  Toyota is the first full-line manufacturer to employ the features of the Five-Star System standard on all its vehicles.  These are just a few reasons Toyota can put your mind at ease. 

Toyota is always including the newest technology for their customers.  From stereos to safety features and all of the in-between, Toyota of Newnan has all of the latest technology you could want!  Are you thirsty for Toyotas technology?