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BMW-Toyota partnership to spawn hybrid supercar

BMW and Toyota inked a partnership some time ago to develop green technology, and while we were excited by the idea of a reborn Supra with BMW's carbon fiber reinforced plastic slashing the curb weight or an ultra-efficient, hybridized 1 Series, the joint efforts have been rather limited. That's set to change, though, according to a report from Australia.
Motoring reports that the partners have come to terms on a sports car. And not just any sports car, but a lightweight, hybridized model, with a six-figure price tag. Lending a bit of street cred to that idea is the site's claim that Toyota is currently carrying out durability testing on the BMW i8. According to the site, the new model will slot into the spot left by the Lexus LFA, although based on the language used, it's unclear if this is the Tokyo-bound vehicle we mentioned several months ago.
Details on this potential car are limited, although Motoring claims it will use a Toyota hybrid system mated up to a BMW gas engine - likely the 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 found in the M5 and M6. That sounds pretty amazing to us, but we'd still advise taking this with a grain of salt. What would you like to see out of a joint-venture supercar from Toyota and BMW? Let us know in Comments, and have your say on the prospects of a hybridized, twin-turbocharged V8.

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota Prius, V earn IIHS awards, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV approved for V2H

The Toyota Prius and Prius V have earned IIHS 2015 Top Safety Pick+ ratings. The Prius V was singled out for its improved performance in the small overlap crash test. Lexus CT models built after September 2014 were also given the distinguished safety rating. In all, eight vehicles from Toyota and Lexus earned Top Safety Pick+ awards, while four more from Toyota and Scion were named Top Safety Picks. Read more in the press release below. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can now provide power to the home in Japan. The vehicle-to-home capability requires the CHAdeMO quick charging socket and either Mitsubishi's own Smart V2H system, or the EVPower Station or Tsubaki eLINK system. The Outlander PHEV gained vehicle-to-home approval alongside all-electric vehicles because its electric motor doesn't run when used in for this purpose. The system allows owners to power their homes during outages and emergencies, and the Outlander PHEV can also directly power appliances with its 1500W AC100V power feeder. Read more at Green Car Congress. The Electric Vehicle Institute has published an updated "Plug-In Around the EV World" poster. The poster depicts the various connector types used by EVs. It shows the standard AC connectors for the US and Europe, DC and combination connectors for fast charging and, of course, Tesla's own charging connector for the Model S. It also shows the standard plug types used around the world, which are color coded by country on a world map. See the Electric Vehicle Institute's poster here, or read more at Green Car Reports. Toyota Decks the Halls with IIHS 2015 'Top Safety Pick' Awards Eight Toyota and Lexus Models Earn Institute's Highest Top Safety Pick+ Four Toyota and Scion Vehicles Named Top Safety Picks December 23, 2014 TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 23, 2014 - On the 12th day of Christmas, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave to Toyota, 12 awards awarding. In fact, the automaker won more awards than any other automaker, including the most of the Institute's highest honor. In all, eight Toyota and Lexus vehicles earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating. IIHS in particular recognized the Prius V for its significantly improved performance all-around in the small overlap crash test – naming it a Top Safety Pick+. The Toyota Sienna was also the only minivan awarded the 2015 Top Safety Pick + designation. IIHS also recognized four additional Toyota and Scion vehicles as 2015 Top Safety Picks.

Here We Go Again: Lexus attacks EVs in new ad [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We got a comment from founding member of Plug In America Paul Scott on this ad. It's available below. The last time Lexus attacked plug-in battery vehicles in an ad, it had to apologize. The company is remaining on message, though, and has revisited a hybrid-vehicle advertising campaign that implies that driving a battery-electric vehicle is a big waste of time, because of all the charging you need to do. With the new spot, Lexus once again raised hackles of plug-in vehicle advocates because, once again, the accuracy is questioned. "The ad's message was that a consumer could [drive] a vehicle with advanced technology today, without sacrifice or change in habit." – Lexus spokesman Brian Bolain Lexus is running print ads (click to enlarge) in publications like Wired poking fun at EVs, the International Business Times says. Lexus highlights range anxiety in the spot, comparing the amount of time it takes to fully recharge an EV – and the idea that air conditioning and using the radio can shorten an EV's range – to the fun of just driving a Lexus. "The [print] ad was merely intended to paint a picture of life with a hybrid, which is basically no different from life with a traditional gas-powered vehicle, versus life with an EV, which can have challenges or at least uncertainties," Lexus spokesman Brian Bolain told AutoblogGreen. "In other words, at its core, the ad's message was that a consumer could participate in driving a vehicle with advanced technology today, without sacrifice or change in habit." The campaign picks up where Lexus's previous anti-EV campaign left off this spring. A website promoting Lexus's hybrids (and parent company Toyota's H2 vehicles) claimed that there was a hydrogen refueling infrastructure set up in 20 US states (not anywhere close to true). Plug-in advocates were also quick to note that higher-powered EV recharging systems can allow a plug-in to be recharged in far less than the four hours the Lexus site claimed. Of course, Toyota has a lot more skin in the game when it comes to hybrids and, starting next year, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles than it does for plug-ins. Through August, the company sold just 842 RAV4 EVs and about 11,500 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrids in the US. That compares to almost 19,000 Nissan Leaf EVs and a Tesla Model S count that's likely close to that figure as well (Tesla breaks out neither monthly sales numbers nor US-only sales for the Model S).