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2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid electrifies with updated styling, more tech

Since the launch of the Prius, Toyota has been closely identified with hybrids and electrification. However outside of the rather niche RAV4 EV, the company hasn't brought the efficient tech to the smallest crossover in its US range. That all changes with the debut of the 2016 RAV4 Hybrid at the 2015 New York Auto Show, and the crossover launches alongside a thoroughly refreshed RAV4 lineup. Similar to the Lexus NX 300h, the RAV4 Hybrid combines a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine running on the Atkinson cycle and an electric motor, and both axles get power thanks to the standard Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel-Drive System. Toyota is keeping the exact technical specs about the CUV a secret until closer to the fall launch but admits the hybrid setup offers more than the 176 horsepower in the internal combustion model. The electric assistance means quicker acceleration and better fuel economy, as well. Beyond just the availability of the hybrid powertrain, the 2016 RAV4 gets sharper, more aggressive styling. The changes start at the nose where the foglights are recessed in the front bumper, and the design draws the eye across the lower grille. There are also reshaped lights at the rear and a redesigned lower bumper with silver skid plate trim. Inside, the improvements include niceties like better material quality, an added USB port up front and cupholders for tall mugs. While the styling looks great, Toyota is also seriously upgrading the available tech for its strong-selling CUV. Buyers can spec a full array of LED lighting, including the headlights, running lights and taillights. There's also the new Toyota Safety Sense suite that adds pre-collision braking, lane departure warning radar cruise control and more. For help with parking, the company has the four-camera Bird's Eye View Monitor, as well. The RAV4's trims carry over and get a new addition called the SE. Its biggest features are a retuned sport suspension, 18-inch wheels, contrasting exterior trim and a black headliner. It also comes fairly loaded with features with the aforementioned LED lights. With all of these changes, Toyota is continuing to take the crossover market seriously. Look forward to live images of the upgraded RAV4 from the Big Apple in the near future.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla and crude oil, Toyota Prius incentives

There is a direct relationship between Tesla stock and the price of US crude oil, according to Business Finance News. According to research, when oil prices rise, so does Tesla's stock value, though not always at the same rate. In some cases though, Tesla stock has performed well despite falling oil prices, or poorly during oil rallies. Business Finance News attributes this to "external forces" such as product launches (like the Powerwall) and strong or weak earnings on the part of the electric automaker. "Apparently," writes the article's author Jason Graul, "the relationship between the energy-innovation company and crude oil is based on basic principles of demand and supply, and substitute goods." Who would have thought? Read more at Business Finance News. Southern California Toyota dealerships are offering increased incentives on the 2015 Prius. As the car ages and gas prices remain low, many dealers are having trouble moving the hybrid. While the car is already eligible for $500 in discounts in the region, customers can now also nab a $2,000 gas card with a 24-month lease of the Prius Liftback (the deal is not available for the Prius C, Prius V or Prius Plug-In Hybrid models). Lease discounts for the Prius Plug-In Hybrid have increased from $2,500 to $4,000, making it about $259 a month to lease. All Prius models offer a $500 loyalty bonus, and Toyota is willing to waive up to the last six months of payments for leases ending between June 2 and September 28. The next-generation Toyota Prius begins production in December, and could arrive in the US as a 2017 model. Read more at Green Car Reports. Ballard has signed a deal to provide the hydrogen power systems for 33 buses in two Chinese cities. The supply agreements with Nantong Zehe New Energy Technology and Guangdong Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology are estimated to be worth $10 million. "We continue to see strong growth opportunities in China's mass transit market where fuel cells are increasingly being discussed as the next generation of clean propulsion," says Ballard President and CEO Randy MacEwen. "This demand is being driven by China's growing need for clean urban mass transit and air quality policies." Fuel cell and electric buses are currently eligible for a $150,000 subsidy, as China is working to promote clean energy and reduce pollution. Read more in the press release below.

Toyota's refreshed Sai is a Lexus HS by any other name

Toyota first launched Lexus in the United States back in 1989, but it wasn't until 2005 that it brought the luxury marque home to roost. But don't think that Toyota didn't find a way of selling many of its premium models in the Japanese Domestic Market in the meantime. The Lexus LS was sold as the Toyota Celsion, the ES as the Vista and Camry Prominent, and the SC as the Soarer. (We could go on, but you get the point.)
These days Lexus sells in markets around the world, including Japan, but Toyota still spins off its own versions of Lexus models to sell domestically as well. Like the new Sai, for example. Sharing its platform, hybrid propulsion and much more with the Lexus HS (which you may remember as the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid until it was pulled from the market early last year), the Sai was introduced to Japan at the same time as the HS was rolled out around the world. Now nearly four years on the market, Toyota has given it a bit of a refresh.
Boasting a far more aggressive front end and a restyled rear, the revised Sai features LED headlights, 16-inch alloys and a higher-quality interior in which JDM buyers will find a new center console and trim, along with an optional 10-speaker infotainment system. Toyota also boasts that the new Sai is made of 20-percent Ecological Plastic and recycled resin.