2001 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner Double Cab Sr5 With Oem Snugtop Camper Shell on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Ford Fusion and Toyota Highlander named Best Hybrids for Families; Funky Prius motorhome

Tesla Model S customers in China will receive a "Universal Mobile Charger" with their vehicle. The charger will allow drivers to charge their Tesla anywhere, without having to search out a Supercharger when out in the wild. It allows Model S drivers a bit more freedom and helps alleviate worries about traveling too far from home. It could also help sway potential customers who suffer from range anxiety. The charger will be free to new and existing customers when it becomes available this summer. Read more at Car News China. US News & World Reports' list of Best Cars for Families includes two hybrids. The 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid was chosen as the Best Hybrid Car for Families, while the 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid was picked as the Best Hybrid SUV for Families. The Fusion hybrid was chosen for its roomy, comfortable cabin, as well as the MyKey system's features for new drivers. The Highlander Hybrid offers eight seats - good for carpooling - as well as good mileage and a quality infotainment system. Read more at US News & World Reports or at Hybrid Cars. Audi plans to give its electric vehicles looks that differentiate them from the rest of the lineup. "In early 2018, we will launch a battery-powered sports activity vehicle in the large premium segment with a range of more than 500 kilometers," says Audi's head of development, Ulrich Hackenberg. "It will have a new, very attractive design, which we are developing especially for the E-Tron range and for battery-electric vehicles." According to analysts, part of the reason the Toyota Prius was so successful was because it was easy to distinguish from other Toyota models with conventional powertrains. Read more at Automotive News Europe. An Australian man turned his Toyota Prius into a miniature motorhome. James Lawler used mostly scraps to build the tiny house – complete with tin roof, chimney, and stained glass window – for just $150 Australian. It took him about a week to finish. Lawler made use of his creation at the Meredith Music Festival so he didn't have to sleep in a tent. He was, however, fined by police for driving the makeshift motorhome. See pictures and read more at the Herald Sun.

Suzuki will road-test EVs in India, start production with Toyota in 2020

NEW DELHI — Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp will start testing prototypes of electric vehicles in India by October, its chairman said on Friday. "We will start road-running tests using a fleet of 50 EV prototype vehicles in India from next month in order to develop safe and easy-to-use EVs for Indian customers," Osamu Suzuki said at the Global Mobility Summit at New Delhi. The company would then launch EVs in India around 2020 in cooperation with Toyota, he added. However, Suzuki said that for EVs to become popular in India, there had to be well-developed charging infrastructure. "In this regard, we look forward to proactive leadership from the Indian government," he said. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a plan to electrify all new vehicles by 2030, a target many experts call ambitious. EVs are expensive due to the high cost of batteries which are still not manufactured in India, and carmakers say a lack of charging stations could make the proposition unviable. Suzuki, parent of India's top-selling automaker, Maruti Suzuki, would start production of lithium-ion batteries for automobiles at its plant in western India from 2020, Suzuki said. India is one of the world's fastest-growing car markets, but EV sales are negligible compared with millions of petrol and diesel cars sold every year. Suzuki said to meet India's environmental challenges, the government would have to look at hybrid and CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles also.Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota HQ goes solar, CARB fights methane

Opel denies allegations about illegal emissions software as the German transport ministry begins its review. Opel has turned documents over to German authorities, and promises to hold a "constructive dialogue" while answering any lingering questions, says the automaker. Opel says that "the allegations reflect a wrong understanding of how diesel engines work." As German magazine Der Spiegel renewed questions about a cheat device similar to those used by Volkswagen, Opel reiterates, "We do not have any software that recognizes whether a vehicle is undergoing an exhaust emissions test." Read more at Automotive News Europe. South Korean President Park Geun-hye suggests that Seoul and Paris work together on the promotion of fuel cell technology. French industrial gases company Air Liquide manufactures liquid hydrogen, while Korean automaker Hyundai has already deployed its Tucson Fuel Cell crossover in select markets around the world. The two companies have signed a deal to cooperate on hydrogen technology. President Park visited an Air Liquide research center during a trip to Europe, where she said that a partnership between Hyundai and Air Liquide can help their countries stay ahead in the fuel cell vehicle market. Read more from Green Car Congress. CARB is proposing new rules for oil and gas facilities that would reduce methane emissions by more than 50 percent. The system, treatment, operation, and device standards would apply to onshore and offshore oil and gas production, storage, processing, and transmission facilities, covering procedures for leak detection and repair, equipment replacement, record keeping, and data reporting. "Methane emissions from the oil and gas industry contribute to California's [greenhouse gas] emissions and cost-effective reduction opportunities already exist and are available for use in the sector," CARB says. "In addition, reducing methane emissions from this sector will help slow the rate of climate change in the near-term and have an immediate beneficial impact on climate change." A hearing is scheduled for July 21 to discuss the proposal. Read more from SNL. Toyota's new Plano, Texas campus will get 25 percent of its energy from the sun. As Toyota plans to move into its new North American headquarters next year, it is building a 7.75-megawatt solar system to provide renewable energy for its operations. The solar arrays will be built atop three parking structures by the end of 2017.