2011 Toyota Avalon Base on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Model X pinch sensor update, Karma plans first store

Tesla has improved Model X pinch sensor function in its latest over-the-air update. As we've seen, the pinch sensors already stop the falcon wing doors from completely shutting when they sense an obstruction. Now, though, the doors retract slightly after the sensors are triggered. While the pre-update doors didn't appear to do as much damage to human fingers as they do to various foodstuffs, it definitely looked uncomfortable, especially when one's hand is stuck in the partially closed door. Now, any pinch that does occur should be brief. See the updated sensors at work in the video above, and read more from Teslarati. Karma Automotive will move to Kawasaki's former headquarters in Irvine, California where it will also open its first store. The revival of the now defunct Fisker will sell its Revero plug-in hybrid through both dealerships and company-owned stores like the one planned for its new two-building campus. The property owner, Bixby, had planned to renovate the site, but now says Karma will make its own improvements. Bixby said it was seeking, "a progressive-minded tenant that would value the unique configuration," and appears to have found just that in Karma. Read more at Electrek, or from the OC Register. San Francisco is asking residents for help in expanding its subways. Using an online tool called Subway Vision, users can draw their own subway lines and stations that they'd like to see built and submit them to planners. Listening to the public is a useful tool for the city because, as Grahm Satterwhite, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's principal planner, admits, "Transportation planners may be too close to a problem to see the solution." This approach allows the subway expansions to "reflect the vision of not just a few transportation planners, but of all San Franciscans," he says. Read more from FastCo.Exist. Toyota is continuing its commitment to Yellowstone National Park with a sustainable Youth Campus for environmental education. The automaker donated $1 million to Yellowstone for the facility, which is seeking Living Building Challenge certification. It will have onsite wastewater treatment for its locally sourced water usage, and will generate all of its electricity needs from photovoltaic panels, with excess to put back into the grid. The campus will have classrooms and residences for students and staff for its youth programs.

Toyota nears $40B cash reserve as calls grow for new investment, payouts

With the April 15 tax deadline just a few months away, our US readers will be faced with a decision should they get a refund: save or spend? It seems this issue is one many of us face whenever there's a windfall, trying to decide whether we should set the money aside in an account of some sort or use it as a down payment on a new car or a trip to the Apple store. Unsurprisingly, major corporations face a similar, albeit more complex, issue.
Take Toyota, for example. With President Akio Toyoda at the helm, the Japanese manufacturer has gracefully weathered recalls and natural disasters, all while turning beaucoup profits. Last quarter, profits quintupled to 434.4-billion yen ($4.3-billion USD), according to Bloomberg. Toyota also upped its forecast for the end of fiscal year 2013 (which ends on March 31 for Japan), to a record 1.9-trillion yen (about $18.8 billion). Now, the Japanese brand is reportedly sitting on a cash pile of nearly $40 billion, leaving Toyoda-san in an envious predicament - what should the company do with all that money?
Some think Toyota should be doing something, anything with that big stack of cash.

2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition a Gulf-State exclusive

Americans certainly have a fondness for pickup trucks with the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado frequently being among the top sellers each month, and that attachment is famously strong in the Lone Star State. We already saw Chevrolet unveil its Colorado Sport concept at the State Fair of Texas. Not to be outdone, Toyota debuted its new the 2015 Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition there, as well.
All of the Tundras use a 4x4 CrewMax SR5 configuration with the Tow Package, and they all come with Toyota's 5.7-liter V8 with 381 horsepower and a six-speed automatic gearbox. What actually sets these vehicles off as the Bass Pro Shops special edition is the 20-inch matte black wheels, tubular side steps, a spray-on bedliner, stainless steel exhaust tips and fender flares. To promote the connection with the store, there are Bass Pro Shops-branded floor mats and company decals on the bed. Of course, pickups are meant to get used, and to make sure of that, buyers also receive a package containing fishing, hunting, camping or marine gear worth about $1,000.
The special edition trucks will only be available in the Gulf States of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas beginning this October, and they'll carry a price of $43,975.