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Toyota mulling more Tundra, Tacoma capacity in TX

Toyota may be expanding its pickup truck production at its San Antonio, TX factory following calls from dealers for more Tacoma and Tundra models, according to a new report from Automotive News.
The San Antonio plant is currently able to produce 250,000 trucks on two shifts with overtime, while a secondary facility in Tijuana, Mexico can build an extra 50,000 Tacomas. Despite this capacity, and the fact that Tundra is a slow seller relative to the full-size trucks from Ford, Ram and Chevrolet/GMC (not to mention the Tacoma being part of a segment with diminishing sales), Toyota franchisees apparently can't get enough of the trucks.
"Dealers are telling us they could sell more Tacomas and Tundras," said Bill Fay, the general manager of the Toyota Division. "We are evaluating our footprint and capacity." According to AN, Toyota has moved over 248,000 trucks through November.

Toyota Tacoma X-Runner dead

A report from last week indicated that Toyota will begin trimming models from its Tacoma lineup starting with the Regular Cab in 2015, but the popular pickup will lose its first variant even sooner than that. For 2014, the Tacoma X-Runner has been dropped, though the company's SR Package could fill the need of those looking for a sporty pickup.
The X-Runner has been around since 2005 with its lowered stance, aftermarket-look body kit and bright paint colors, all of which are offered available only on V6-powered, two-wheel-drive Access Cab Tacomas. The new SR Package sounds like it will offer a somewhat similar appearance, though, with a monotone exterior paint scheme in limited colors accented with smoked headlights, but it will only be offered on Pre-Runner and 4x4 models. Other changes being made to the 2014 Tacoma include a new wheel option with black finish, a wider variety of Entune multimedia features, and the option to have the backup camera display moved from the rearview mirror to the audio system head unit.

Hydrogen stations that don't work putting a dent in H2 lifestyle

Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe, but it's not abundant enough for some hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle drivers. Southern California lessees of models such as the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell SUV are taking to Facebook to voice their complaints about out-of-order fuel cell stations, Green Car Reports says. In many cases, the lack of hydrogen supply has made the cars effectively undriveable. For Tucson Fuel Cell owners, the hydrogen is supposed to be free and unlimited, but Hyundai doesn't manage the stations. One Orange County lessee of a Tucson fuel-cell vehicle hasn't driven the car for over a month because the trio of nearby stations are out of commission. Additionally, some of the stations that do work can only provide about a half-tank worth of hydrogen, once again putting a crimp the driving range of the hydrogen car. California is home to 10 of the dozen public hydrogen refueling stations in the country (there's one each in Connecticut and South Carolina), according to US Department of Energy figures. These sorts of challenges can't help Hyundai's hydrogen efforts. Last month, it was reported that Hyundai has sold fewer than 300 fuel cell vehicles worldwide during the past three years, including about 70 through the first five months of this year. The South Korea-based automaker has said it wants to sell 1,000 fuel-cell vehicles globally by the end of 2015. Fuel-cell drivers and advocates alike are hoping that Toyota will change the game when its Mirai hydrogen vehicles start hitting California roads later this year. Toyota confirmed in May that Mirai US sales would start in October in eight California dealerships. The Northeast is on tap for 2016. Related Video: