Toyota Drives the Future of Zero Emission Trucking

Toyota Drives the Future of Zero Emission Trucking

Toyota Drives the Future of Zero Emission Trucking

If you see a big-rig driving around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that seems oddly quiet and quick, do not be alarmed! It’s just the future.

The possible future of heavy-duty trucking recently hit the streets in the form of Toyota Motor North America, Inc.’s (TMNA) “Project Portal” – a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty truck use. The zero-emission class 8 truck proof of concept has completed more than 4,000 successful development miles, while progressively pulling drayage rated cargo weight, and emitting nothing but water vapor.

“Toyota has led the way in expanding the understanding and adoption of fuel cell technology,” said TMNA Executive Vice President Bob Carter. “From the introduction of the Mirai passenger vehicle to the creation of the heavy-duty fuel cell system in Project Portal, Toyota continues to demonstrate the versatility and scalability of the zero-emission fuel cell powertrain.”

With testing and development miles completed, Project Portal is ready to go to work. Initial feasibility study routes, moving goods from select Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution, will begin on October 23rd. It’s estimated the truck’s daily trips will total around 200 miles. These localized, frequent route patterns are designed to test the demanding drayage duty-cycle capabilities of the fuel cell system while capturing real world performance data. As the study progresses, longer haul routes will be introduced.

The initial feasibility study operations will be managed by the TMNA Project Portal team, in collaboration with Toyota’s Service Parts Accessories Operations group and its drayage provider, Southern Counties Express (SCE).

Revealed in April 2017, Project Portal is the next step in Toyota’s effort to broaden the application of zero-emission fuel cell technology that can serve a range of industries. It is a fully functioning heavy duty truck with the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while producing zero emissions. Heavy duty vehicles make up a significant percentage of the annual emissions output at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Portal feasibility study may provide another path to further reduce emissions.

The Project Portal heavy-duty truck concept generates more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 pound feet of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery, a relatively small battery to support class 8 load operations. The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs., and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation.

courtesy: pressroom.toyota.com

Drift Finale at Irwindale, while NASCAR and NHRA Playoffs Roll Along

Drift Finale at Irwindale, while NASCAR and NHRA Playoffs Roll Along

Drift Finale at Irwindale, while NASCAR and NHRA Playoffs Roll Along

NASCAR
In NASCAR action, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will compete at treacherous Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama over the weekend.

Sunday’s Cup Series race marks the second race in Round 2 of the Playoffs and Camry driver Martin Truex Jr. continues to lead the point standings as the championship hunt heats up.

Toyota drivers have opened the Cup postseason with four-straight triumphs – a first for any OEM in the current postseason format – and the manufacturer will look to become the first to win five-straight in a single season since 2014.

With Truex already advancing to the third round of the Playoffs after his Charlotte win, his fellow Camry MENCS drivers are currently in the top-nine in the standings going into the second of four races in this round. Denny Hamlin ranks fifth in the point standings while Kyle Busch sits sixth. Both drivers have previous Cup Series victories in a Toyota at Talladega with Busch winning in 2008 and Hamlin was victorious there in 2014. Camry driver Matt Kenseth is currently ninth in the point standings with two races remaining before the cutoff to the Round of 8.

The Truck Series race at Talladega marks the first cutoff event in the series’ Playoffs and the three Tundra drivers contending for the title currently rank in the top-three spots.

Toyota’s Christopher Bell and Ben Rhodes have both advanced to the second round of the Playoffs with victories in the first two races of the postseason. Matt Crafton ranks third in the point standings (19 points ahead of sixth-place) and will look for a solid finish at Talladega to advance to the Round of 6 following the race on NASCAR’s biggest oval.

Tundra drivers have won eight-of-the-last 10 NCWTS races contested at the Alabama superspeedway.

While the Cup and Truck Series are in the thick of the playoffs, Toyota’s Todd Gilliland hopes to inch closer to locking up the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West title.

Gilliland holds an 11-point lead over fellow Toyota driver Chris Eggleston entering the series’ penultimate race at California’s All American Speedway. While Gilliland can’t clinch this weekend, a strong finish would move the 17-year-old driver closer to his second-consecutive West championship.

The Cup race will be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Truck Series event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX. The West race will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

NHRA
In the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, five Toyota drivers will continue their hunt for a world championship this weekend at the FallNationals in Texas.

In Top Fuel, Toyota’s Doug Kalitta currently sits second, while two-time defending champion Antron Brown is fourth and Shawn Langdon holds down the tenth position. Camry drivers J.R. Todd and Cruz Pedregon are currently eighth and tenth, respectively, in the Funny Car standings.

Brown returns to the Texas Motorplex this weekend as the defending Top Fuel winner after defeating Steve Torrence in the finals in 2016.The track also holds a special memory for Brown as the site of his first-ever NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series victory when he won the Pro Stock Motorcycle final in 1999. The three-time world champion also won at the facility in 2012 and will be looking for his third Top Fuel win in Dallas this weekend.

“Our car is running good and we’re running consistent,” Brown said. “We have three races left and the last race is points and half, so we’re going to be right in the thick of things. Our game is elevating at the right time. We’re going to go into Dallas and give it all we’ve got and we’re not going to leave anything behind.”

The NHRA competes at Texas Motorplex from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 13-15. Race coverage will be aired live on FS1 on Friday, Oct. 13 at 6:00 p.m. ET, tape delayed for FS1 on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m., and conclude with live coverage on FS1 on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2:00 p.m.

Formula Drift
Formula D will conclude its season at the ‘House of Drift,’ Irwindale Speedway, in the final event for the series at the famed facility that is slated to close this winter. Toyota’s Fredric Aasbø enters the event ranked second in points, but needs points leader James Deane to falter in practice or qualifying to have a chance to win the 2017 championship.

Irwindale is widely regarded as the birthplace of drifting in the United States and Toyota 86 driver Ken Gushi grew up racing at the California short track.

“I’m definitely going all in for the last round at Irwindale because it’s going to be the last Irwindale Formula Drift ever,” Gushi said. “Whatever happens will happen, but I would not want to leave the remaining round with regret. I’m going all in with everything we have.”

The California track was the site of the first Formula D championship event 14 years.

The Formula D season finale will take place at Irwindale on Saturday, Oct. 14. The race will be tape delayed for broadcast on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

POWRi
Toyota’s Spencer Bayston will be looking for his fifth-consecutive national midget racing feature win when the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League heads to Jacksonville, Illinois for a pair of races on Friday and Saturday. Nine Toyota-powered entries are expected to contend for the manufacturer’s 33rd and 34th national feature wins of the year.

courtesy: pressroom.toyota.com

Toyota to Unveil GR HV SPORTS concept at Tokyo Motor Show 2017

Toyota to Unveil GR HV SPORTS concept at Tokyo Motor Show 2017

Toyota to Unveil GR HV SPORTS concept at Tokyo Motor Show 2017

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) is set to unveil the GR HV SPORTS concept car at its worldwide premiere at the 45th Tokyo Motor Show 2017*, taking place from October 25 through November 5 at Tokyo Big Sight. The GR HV SPORTS concept represents a new way to enjoy cars by integrating the thrill of a sports car with the environmental friendliness of an eco-car.

Main Features
  • The design is reminiscent of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s TS050 Hybrid racing car that competes in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
  • Features a targa top that was also used for Toyota’s legendary convertible sports cars, the Toyota Sports 800 (a.k.a. Yotahachi) and the Supra
  • Powered by THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System-Racing) that is infused with hybrid technology refined by the TS050 Hybrid
 Toyota to Unveil GR HV SPORTS concept at Tokyo Motor Show 2017
Design
  • While completely embodying functionality as a genuine sports car, the GR HV SPORTS concept features LED headlights, aluminum wheels, and a rear diffuser similar to the TS050 Hybrid. The design evokes Toyota’s bond with motor sports.
  • The matte black body color expresses power and aggressiveness.
Interior
  • A selection switch to choose the automatic gear position is located in the center cluster to achieve a racing car-like ambience.
  • The push button ignition switch is playfully located on the shift knob.
Toyota to Unveil GR HV SPORTS concept at Tokyo Motor Show 2017
Enjoyment of control
  • Drivers can delight in the performance of THS-R in a genuine sports car while experiencing a sense of freedom thanks to the targa top.
  • Switching to manual mode is possible with the single press of a button, and 6-speed manual-style driving with H-pattern shifting can be enjoyed (the car is an automatic).
  • The hybrid battery is mounted near the center of vehicle. Installing the heavy battery in the center contributes to improved performance as a sports car.
Main Specifications
Name Length
(mm)
Width
(mm)
Height
(mm)
Driveline Seating
(occupants)
GR HV SPORTS concept 4,395 1,805 1,280 Front engine, rear-wheel-drive 2

courtesy: newsroom.toyota.co.jp

espnW and Toyota Recognize 5th Class of ‘Everyday Heroes’ at 2017 The espnW: Women + Sports Summit

espnW and Toyota Recognize 5th Class of ‘Everyday Heroes’ at 2017 The espnW: Women + Sports Summit

espnW and Toyota Recognize 5th Class of ‘Everyday Heroes’ at 2017 The espnW: Women + Sports Summit

Last night at the eighth annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit presented by Toyota, espnW and Toyota announced the fifth class of Toyota “Everyday Heroes,” an award that celebrates individuals making a difference for women and girls in their local communities through sports. Grants in the amount of $10,000 are provided to the organizations honored.

“For five years running, Toyota is proud to celebrate the ‘Everyday Heroes’ and honor these remarkable women who are inspiring change in the world around them,” said Nancy Inouye, national media manager, Toyota Motor North America. “Through their dedication and commitment, we see the positive lasting impact they have made to empower women and girls through sports.”

The 2017 Toyota “Everyday Heroes” are:

Darlene Hunter (Founder, Lady Mavericks Wheelchair Basketball – Dallas, TX)
Darlene Hunter, a Paralympic gold medalist, oversees the Lady Wheelchair Mavericks Basketball team, which is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of physically disabled women and girls. Founded in 1990, the team has for the last four years hosted overnight camps for young disabled girls from across the country.

Fartun Osman (Founder, Somali Girls Rock – St. Paul, MN)
Somali Girls Rock officially started in 2004 and focuses on providing girls from Minnesota’s Somali community – which numbers about 250,000 – opportunities to play soccer, basketball and track & field in an environment where they can feel comfortable. Some SGR graduates have gone on to play sports in college, while others have become doctors, lawyers and community leaders.

Mira Manickam (Founder, Brown Girl Surf – Oakland, CA)
Formally launched in 2014, Brown Girl Surf was created because outside activities and spaces – specifically surf culture – have not been inclusive to women of color. Brown Girl Surf works to build a more diverse, environmentally reverent and joyful women’s surf culture by increasing access to surfing, cultivating community, amplifying the voices of women of color surfers and taking care of the earth.
“We’re honored to spotlight the tremendous work done by these women in their communities,” said Laura Gentile, senior vice president, espnW & Women’s Initiatives. “It takes real conviction and dedication to accomplish what that they have accomplished and drive positive change in the lives of young girls.”

To qualify for a Toyota Everyday Heroes grant, a person and/or organization must:

  • Have been operating as an active, sports-related organization for at least three years;
  • Are currently creating sports opportunities for girls and women in their local communities, and making a meaningful, inspiring impact with quantifiable results;

Last year’s honorees were Courtney Payne Taylor (Founder, Girls Riders Organization), Tracy Pointer (Founder, GROW/GROW Girl) and Beth Devine (Founder, Philly Girls in Motion). In 2016, the honorees were Chrissy Lewis-Summers, founder of Beyond Sticks, and Heidi Boynton, founder of Mini Mermaid Running Club. In 2015, espnW and Toyota honored Chrissy Lewis-Summers, founder of Beyond Sticks, and Heidi Boynton, founder of Mini Mermaid Running Club. The 2014 honorees were Dr. Kimberley S. Clay, Monica Gonzalez and Claire Smallwood. In 2013, espnW and Toyota recognized Barb Lazarus, Justine Siegal and Mobolaji Akidoe as the inaugural recipients.

courtesy: toyotanews.pressroom.toyota.com

All-New Toyota Camry Ignites the Senses

All-New Toyota Camry Ignites the Senses

All-New Toyota Camry Ignites the Senses

The all-new Toyota Camry is here with a striking new look and a hot new marketing campaign that’s set to tap into drivers’ emotions and the sensations they will feel when driving the vehicle. While purchasing a Camry continues to be a smart and rational choice, the 2018 Camry now delivers the magic and excitement drivers crave. These emotions are highlighted in the “Sensations” campaign, which compels drivers to love the new Camry for all the “wrong” reasons. The campaign will cover multiple media channels, including broadcast, cinema, social, print, digital and out-of-home placements.

Rather than telling customers how it feels to drive the all-new Camry, this campaign shows them through impactful and evocative imagery that clearly conveys a specific feeling generated by some aspect of the Camry’s styling, safety, technology and performance. The goal of the campaign is to introduce people to an inspiring, more emotional, more exciting driving experience that will make every driver feel special.

The fully-integrated campaign was developed under Total Toyota (T2), the total market model that creates a cohesive marketing approach between Toyota’s agencies of record, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Conill, Burrell Communications and interTrend Communications.

“The launch of the next-generation Camry is incredibly important for Toyota, and we wanted to create a campaign that matched its excellence and the excitement of the new design. ‘Sensations’ perfectly conveys what people will feel driving the new Camry,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president, marketing, Toyota. “Once again, our Total Toyota agency partners at Saatchi & Saatchi, Conill, Burrell and interTrend elevated our expectations and delivered an outstanding integrated campaign resonating with what Toyota envisions and what our owners will experience while driving the car.”

Broadcast
A total of eight broadcast spots were developed using multicultural insights aimed at a transcultural audience. The commercials highlight specific vehicle strengths while introducing customers to the emotions they will feel while driving the vehicle.

Four broadcast spots feature dynamic visual imagery along with legendary music hits meant to bring emotion to life and tell the story of the all-new Camry. In three spots – “Thrill,” “Wonder” and “Indulge” – the music of classics like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Roxette’s “The Look” and “What a Wonderful World” allow the vocals to act as an emotionally powerful narrative. In a fourth spot, “Wild,” the powerful sounds of Suzi Quatro’s “Wild One” drive an exciting new vision of how it feels to drive the all-new Camry. Every spot is supported by near-musical sounds recorded directly from the Camry itself.

“Striking” and ”Rebellious” communicate the kinds of emotional highs the Camry can inspire, represented by high-octane beats and fast-action editing. “Strut” transforms a routine run for pizza with a cool slice of style. And “Captivating” captures the bond between parent and child as they discover together the thrilling features in their new car.

Digital

In the “Sensations” digital campaign, users are invited to interact with the creative in combination with unique video content. Additionally, an interactive ad unit will highlight various features of the Camry by providing an auditory experience delivered to mobile devices. When opened, users will be prompted to tap bubbles titled “rebellious,” “thrill,” “serenity,” among others, that take them into a series of interactive experiences with sound by a simple movement of the phone or finger on the screen. A different creative execution incorporates ASMR technology (autonomous sensory meridian response) – a tingling many people experience when listening to certain sounds – to magnify sensations, create rich sight and sound content and highlight the extraordinary features of the new Camry.

Social

An innovative social media campaign takes a unique approach to targeting Twitter audiences. Short social videos, each coming to life with different emotion-eliciting emojis, will be targeted to Twitter users based upon their recent emoji use on the platform. The “Sensations” campaign marks the first time this advertising strategy – with custom-built creative – has been employed by an automotive brand on Twitter.

Additionally, a series of artistic snackable videos playing with visual metaphors for the feelings that the new Camry will provoke will be featured on Facebook and Twitter. Utilizing a variety of assets like snackable videos, stills and GIFs, Instagram will create a collage that displays the vehicle, its features and the feelings it elicits.

Print & Out-of-home

Print ads will use broadcast campaign visuals to push the emotional envelope for the all-new Camry sending senses into overload and encouraging drivers to indulge, wonder and stay wild. Using CGI (computer generated imagery), the Camry print campaign features nine traditional print placements along with an experiential magazine insert in targeted publications that allows the reader to feel the sensational impact of driving the new 2018 Camry. With the out-of-home campaign, the brand-focused creative prominently features the new vehicle and logo in front of a distinctive wall of stylized auto parts, utilizing a similar look and feel to that of the print executions.

About the 2018 Toyota Camry

The eighth-generation Camry has gone through a total evolution, from a proven, dependable and safe car to one that also possesses a more exciting and emotional character, thanks to its newfound sporty performance and eye-catching style.

The new Camry utilizes TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) which represents a completely new strategy to the way the company designs, engineers and packages its vehicles. TNGA retains all of Toyota’s traditional values of superlative build quality and safety while injecting a fun driving experience that plays on all the senses. The physical manifestation is the usage of a new engine, transmission and GA-K platform.

courtesy: pressroom.toyota.com