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Toyota aims to build autonomous car around 2020 [w/videos]

The race is on to get increasingly sophisticated forms of autonomous driving technology on the road, and brands like Tesla are bringing these solutions to some drivers now. But as one of the world's largest automakers, it's no surprise to see Toyota competing in the field, as well. By 2020, the company thinks a person could be largely unnecessary for freeway trips. With a suite of tech called the Highway Teammate, a modified Lexus GS is already showing what's possible. Using a combination of millimeter wave radar, LIDAR, and cameras, the GS gets a full view of the road, and software processes all of the info to make decisions. The result is a ride on the freeway without human interaction. The system can merge, change lanes, make passes, take curves, and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Accurate map data is a necessity to make this work, so the system currently only being tested on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway. While Highway Teammate might not be the best name, it accurately communicates the way Toyota thinks of the tech. The company is making big investments in artificial intelligence to assist drivers, not completely replace them. You can see the system in action in the video below, and the second clip's gravely serious narrator explains the company's idea of having a fully connected road someday. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. New Toyota Test Vehicle Paves the Way for Commercialization of Automated Highway Driving Technologies Toyota City, Japan, October 6, 2015-Toyota has been testing a new automated driving test vehicle called Highway Teammate, with the aim of launching related products by around 2020. In addition to demonstrating the capabilities of next-generation safety technologies, the vehicle represents Toyota's view of the evolving driver-car relationship in the age of artificial intelligence. Toyota believes that interactions between drivers and cars should mirror those between close friends who share a common purpose, sometimes watching over each other and sometimes helping each other out. Toyota refers to this approach as the Mobility Teammate Concept, and Highway Teammate represents an important first effort to give form to this concept.

Lexus crafts working IS sedan out of cardboard [w/video]

People make model cars out of all sorts of material: wood, plastic, metal... and sure, even cardboard. What sets this one apart is that it's built to scale – as in, full scale – and what's more is that it can actually be driven. Then again, we couldn't vouch for its crashworthiness, so that might not be advisable. The replica Lexus IS sedan was commissioned by the Japanese automaker's UK office and made by two British workshops: Scales & Models and LaserCut Works. It's inspired by the Japanese art of origami and made out of cardboard, except for the working parts and the frame made of steel and aluminum. It's got a fully functional interior, opening doors, working headlights, rolling wheels, and an electric motor. The form is made up of cardboard 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) thick, provided by packaging company DS Smith. The material was laser-cut into 1,700 components, according to a 3D digital model provided by Lexus, and assembled by hand and painstakingly fixed into place by water-based wood glue that has to set for 10 minutes between each step. Little wonder that the whole project took three months to complete. The finished product will be on display at the NEC in Birmingham later this week during the Grand Designs Live Show. But if you're not planning on heading there yourself, you can check it out in the image gallery above and making-of video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 05 Oct 2015 LEXUS UK UNVEILS FULL-SIZE ORIGAMI INSPIRED CAR REPLICA IS MODEL CELEBRATES LEXUS CRAFTSMANSHIP • Created as a celebration of the skills of Lexus's takumi craftsmen and women, capturing the spirit of Creating Amazing in design and engineering • Life-size replica of the Lexus IS, crafted from 1,700 fully recyclable laser-cut cardboard sheets • Created by a five-strong team of professional designers and modellers from UK specialist companies LaserCut Works and Scales and Models, supported by DS Smith (cardboard manufacturers) • Powered by an electric motor, the Origami Car can be driven Brussels, Belgium - There has never been a Lexus like it: sheet metal, glass and plastics have been set aside for the creation of a one-off life-size model crafted in precision-cut cardboard. The remarkable Lexus Origami Car is a faithful replica of the new IS saloon, produced as a celebration of the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car Lexus makes.

Recharge Wrap-up: Lexus CT 200h is NWAPA's favorite hybrid, 'No Charge to Charge' in LA

The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) has given the Lexus CT 200h its Favorite Hybrid title. It named the compact luxury hybrid its favorite of 2014 at its Drive Revolution in Portland (where it also named the new Volkswagen Golf TDI the Northwest Green Car of the Year). According to NWAPA president Nik Miles, the CT 200h earned the honor for "impressive combination of state-of-the-art small car luxury and hybrid technology." For 2014, the Lexus CT200h got an updated front end, including the spindle grille we've been seeing on new Lexus vehicles, plus a redesigned steering wheel and sliding sun visors. Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet credits the Malibu for helping make stop-start mainstream. Chevrolet started including stop-start technology standard in Malibus equipped with the four-cylinder engine. Chevy has sold about 83,000 of that model, so 97 percent of 2014 and 2015 Malibu sales include stop-start. Now, that technology has made its way into the 2015 Impala. With drivers idling an average of 16 minutes a day, stop-start can significantly reduce harmful emissions and save fuel. According to Navigant Research, we can expect annual sales of cars equipped with stop-start technology to surpass 55 million by 2022. Read more in the press release below. Nissan Leaf customers in Los Angeles will get access to free charging beginning August 15. Nissan is extending its "No Charge to Charge" promotion to LA, which will allow customers to charge at public charging stations at no cost. Leaf customers - including those who bought or leased their car from the participating dealerships on or after July 1 - will get an EZ-Charge card, allowing them to use ChargePoint, Blink, CarCharging, AeroVironment and NRG eVgo chargers for free. Rapid chargers can charge the Leaf's battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes. Nissan plans to offer the "No Charge to Charge" in at least 14 more markets in the US, bringing the total to 25, within the next year. See the press release below for more details. California will get six all-electric school buses for three school districts as part of a demonstration program. The California Energy Commission awarded a grant of $1.4 million for the program to National Strategies LLC; this is in addition to a $2.2-million grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The EV buses use vehicle-to-grid technology, allowing them to sell energy back to the grid when it is needed.