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Toyota giving away its first hydrogen car in US

California isn't Nevada, but Golden State residents are nonetheless being given a chance to make a small bet on what may be a large prize, courtesy of Toyota. The Japanese automaker will start selling its first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the West Coast late next year, and before that, Toyota would like to pick up some positive publicity by giving America's first one away to one lucky Californian. Toyota is working with the Environmental Media Association, a nonprofit that melds celebrities with sustainability-related causes, on the promotion. The upshot is that folks can go to Bidding For Good and buy a $100 ticket to be eligible for the prize. Heck, people can get a half-dozen ducats for $500. What a deal. The winner will be announced October 18 at Warner Bros. Studios. Last month, Toyota unveiled a television commercial that proclaimed 2015 as the potential turning point for fuel-cell vehicle adoption. Toyota will start selling the FCV in Japan next April for about $69,000. Toyota says the fuel cell vehicle will be able to go about 300 miles on a full tank of hydrogen and, aside from some water vapor, will not have any emissions. Read more in Toyota's press release below. How the West Was Won: Toyota Offers Chance to Be a Fuel Cell Pioneer TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 8, 2014 – It's hard to be a trendsetter in places like Los Angeles or San Francisco, but one lucky Californian will blaze that trail when they park a new Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) in their garage. Toyota and the Environmental Media Association (EMA) are offering a historic opportunity to own the company's first zero-emission hydrogen vehicle when it arrives in California in late 2015. Toyota is the first major auto manufacturer to give away a fuel cell vehicle to an individual owner. As the infrastructure to support the vehicle is currently only available in the golden state, prize applicants must be California residents. Residents can purchase opportunities to win at www.biddingforgood.com for a cost of $100 per ticket or $500 for six. All monies raised will benefit programs of the EMA, a nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles. The winner will be announced at the 24th annual EMA Awards, presented by Toyota and Lexus, on Oct. 18 at Warner Bros Studios. The EMA awards honor individuals within the entertainment industry for efforts to promote environmental messages.

Toyota launches new Noah, Voxy minivans in Japan [w/videos]

We know the feeling: you've got what seems like your whole bloodline to transport, and maybe not quite two of every living kind, but a household pet or two. So you're going to need something big to fit them all. Something like a Toyota Sienna ought to do the trick. But if you live on an Asian island that, we're sorry to say, has been known to flood in what can only be referred to as an Act of God but whose vehicles fall short of such biblical proportions, at least you can get one with a suitably biblical name. (And an awesome one at that, if this writer may say so.)
That would be Noah, the name Toyota gives to its JDM minivan. It's also known as the Voxy, and Toyota has just revealed new versions of both. Previewed in concept form at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, the production Noah and Voxy have been completely redesigned. The boxy form allows for as many as eight seats and a low, flat-folding cargo floor to accommodate your whole clan and all the stuff you could buy from Uniqlo and Muji with the roomiest interior in its class.
Toyota is offering both with a variety of gasoline and hybrid powertrain configurations driving the front wheels or all four through a continuously variable transmission in a range of trim levels starting from 2.18 million yen (equivalent to $20,952 at today's rates) to 3.4 million yen ($32,694). The Voxy is sold through Toyota's network of Netz dealerships across Japan, and the Noah through its parallel Corolla dealers. Along with the pair of video clips and the high-res image galleries top and bottom, there are plenty of details in the press release below, where you can read more about the flexible seating arrangements and all the latest tech. Just don't expect to be reading dimensions measured in cubits and construction from gopher wood.

Toyota R&D shows off free piston engine linear generator for future EVs

We often hear how an electric vehicle powertrain architecture allows vehicle designers much more freedom than a traditional ICE powertrain does. With differently shaped battery modules and small electric motors, there are lots of way to put the pieces together. With today's plug-in hybrid technology, engineers still need to put a decent-sized ICE somewhere, but new technology from Toyota could free up the gas-electric vehicle designers of the future. Presented at the recent SAE World Congress in Detroit, the idea from Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. and involves what is called a Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG). Think of it as a sort of one-cylinder, two-stroke mini-engine that can work either as a generator (thank to magnets and a linear coil) or to directly drive a vehicle. The current prototype is a 10-kW unit that Toyota say would provide enough power to get a B- or C-segment electric vehicle up to highway speeds (75 miles per hour) when paired up to offer 20 kW. Pairing the FPEGs is also important to minimize vibrations. One system tested by Toyota had a 42 percent thermal efficiency, but the engineers are working to improve the overall efficiency even further. You can watch an animated video of the piston in action here (click on "Outline") and see the SAE papers here and here. More technical details are available at Green Car Congress. News Source: Toyota Labs via Green Car CongressTip: Thanks, Joe V. Green Misc. Auto Shows Toyota Technology Emerging Technologies Electric generator