Toyota said on Tuesday it will recall some 3.8 million vehicles, including the Toyota Prius, because of the risk a floor mat could keep the accelerator pedal forced down. As an immediate remedy, the Japanese automaker urged drivers of a range of recent models to remove driver's-side floormats until it could issue a recall in consultation with federal safety regulators.
Green technologies and programs are being introduced in NASCAR, Formula One, Formula Three, Champ Car, and Le Mans. The entries include ethanol-burning hybrids, veggie-based speed machines, and sedate gas-electric family sedans setting the pace.
Toyota hopped on the compressed natural gas (CNG) bandwagon today when the company said it will unveil a CNG-powered Camry Hybrid concept vehicle at the Los Angeles International Auto show this November.
The Toyota Camry Hybrid—which combines comfort, reliability and good fuel economy—is the second best selling hybrid in 2008. We had an opportunity to drive the 2009 model to get first-hand experience with the drivability and fuel consumption of this carryover sedan.
Automakers took a beating in March as the new vehicle market took a 12 percent dip since February. There was a continuation of the major shift toward smaller vehicles and smaller engines. And the most striking evidence of changes in the marketplace: The Camry Hybrid outsold the Camry powered by a V6 gas engine.
In Toyota's 2006 Super Bowl television ad, an Hispanic father explains how the hybrid car switches between gas and electric power. The son compares it to the way his father can switch between English and Spanish. In the Super Bowl TV commercial, the father explains that he learned English, and bought a hybrid, for his son's future.
