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Toyota adds 1.6m cars to Takata inflator recall list

As part of the Takata airbag inflator recall expansion announced by NHTSA earlier this month, Toyota has listed an additional 1.6 million cars that will need to have inflators or airbag assemblies replaced. This brings the total of recalled Toyota, Scion, and Lexus vehicles to 4.73 million. Other automakers will announce their expanded recall lists this week as well. This round of recalls affects some but not all vehicles with the following model names and years: 2009–2011 Toyota Corolla and Matrix 2006–2011 Toyota Yaris 2010–2011 Toyota 4Runner 2011 Toyota Sienna 2008–2011 Scion xB 2007–2011 Lexus ES 2010–2011 Lexus GX 2006–2011 Lexus IS To see if your specific vehicle falls under recall, write down your VIN and go to toyota.com/recall; you can also check any recalls, Takata or otherwise, at safercar.gov/vin. Toyota will inform owners of affected vehicles by mail. Depending on the model, either the inflator or the entire airbag assembly will have to be replaced. Due to the number of vehicles that have already been recalled, it may take some time for the necessary parts to be available. A total of 11 deaths have been attributed to the faulty Takata inflators, and federal investigators now know why the parts are prone to failure. The state of Hawaii was the first to sue the auto supplier, with more states expected to follow. The 17 other automakers are required to announce their additions resulting from the May 4 expansion this week, so expect more of the 35 to 40 million vehicles to be listed soon. Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters Recalls Lexus Scion Toyota Takata airbag recall lexus is toyota sienna toyota 4runner toyota matrix lexus es lexus gx

Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundra flunk IIHS headlight test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put pickup truck headlights to the test and found that the majority of them were equipped with subpar units. The 2017 Honda Ridgeline was the only truck to earn a rating of "good." The large pickup truck test was comprised of the: 2016 to 2017 GMC Sierra, 2017 Nissan Titan, 2016 Ram 1500, 2016 to 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, 2016 to 2017 Ford F-150, and 2016 to 2017 Toyota Tundra. The Sierra's headlights earned a rating of "acceptable," the headlights found on the Titan and Ram 1500 were found to be "marginal," and the ones on the Silverado, F-150, and Tundra were rated as "poor." IIHS claims the F-150 was the most disappointing out of the large pickup trucks as both its halogen and optional LED headlights failed to provide adequate visibility during testing. The Ridgeline (which earned a "good rating"), is usually considered a midsize or small truck, though IIHS included it in the field of large pickups. The headlights on the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, 2016 GMC Canyon, 2016 Nissan Frontier, and 2016 to 2017 Toyota Tacoma, which made up the small pickup truck group, all earned a rating of "poor." The IIHS claimed the Colorado had the worst headlights of any truck that was tested, as the base vehicle's units were only able to illuminate up to 123 feet in front of the car. The Ridgeline's headlights, for reference, were able to illuminate up to 358 feet in front of the vehicle. To conduct its test, the IIHS utilizes a special tool to measure how far light is projected out of the headlights in different driving situations. The trucks' headlights were tested in a straight line and in corners, while vehicles with high-beam assist were given extra praise. The headlights on the pickup trucks also mimic the testing that was done on small SUVs and cars earlier this year. Next year, automakers will need to fit their vehicles with headlights that earn a rating of either good or acceptable to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: 10-year sentence for biodiesel fraudsters, overhead fast charging EV buses in Luxembourg

Toyota will use addressable TV advertising to target potential Prius Prime customers. By choosing to advertise in households with specific attributes, Toyota hopes to grab the attention of buyers who "see their vehicle as an extension of their consumption of advanced technology," according to Toyota Motors Sales media manager Lisa McQueen. The ad depicts a person who is skeptical of various inventions throughout history until he finds himself inside the Prius Prime. Hyundai has also used addressable TV ads for its Genesis brand. Read more at Automotive News. Two Florida men have each been sentenced to over 10 years in prison for biodiesel credit fraud. Thomas Davanzo and Robert Fedyna of Gen-X Energy Group and its subsidiary Southern Resources and Commodities were convicted of buying fuel that had already been sold with Renewable Identification Numbers, then fraudulently claiming more credits on that fuel. The scheme raked in more than $46 million, mostly in selling the fraudulent credits. Critics of the Renewable Fuel Standard point to incidents like this as a reason to oppose the program. Read more from Reuters. Volvo electric buses in Luxembourg will use Heliox Fast Charge systems. Public transport operator Sales-Lentz has ordered three of the Heliox systems that will charge the buses using pantograph (overhead wire) contacts. The chargers will be placed at end-of-route stops for opportunistic charging of the transport agency's four Volvo 7900 electric buses. The 450-kW, Wi-Fi-enabled OppCharge system automatically connects the charger to contact plates on the roofs of the vehicles, charging them in three to six minutes. Read more at Green Car Congress. Related Gallery 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced View 35 Photos News Source: Automotive News, Reuters, Green Car CongressImage Credit: Volvo Buses Government/Legal Green Marketing/Advertising Toyota Volvo Biodiesel Technology Electric recharge wrapup