This week Toyota revealed its all-new fourth-generation Tacoma mid-sized pick-up truck which is more powerful with two powertrains and packed full of AI driver's assistance and software. It is more rugged with outstanding grunt: the two engines create 310 and 317 lb-ft of torque respectively, up from the 265 of the older truck, and a hybrid motor in the more powerful version. It's probably more fuel-efficient, though official figures haven't been released yet. The all-new overlander with the hybrid engine is called the i-ForceMax, and this is only available with the automatic transmission. Grades are broken down into the basic two-door truck (SR5), three different TRD models designed for fast off-roading, a luxurious, road-focussed version (Limited), and an all-new Trailhunter. The Trailhunter is designed for round-the-world adventurers who want to travel and camp in remote areas. The road-oriented Limited has an adaptive variable suspension, while the three TRDs come with various grades of sport-tuned shocks.
Toyota retools the Tacoma to compete in a tougher truck market
CNN
23-05-19 00:43
Toyota recently unveiled a new model of its bestselling small pick-up truck favorite, the Tacoma. It will boast a manual transmission, hybrid engines and several bump-ups in both luxury and ruggedness. The Tacoma will go up against newly redesigned small pick-up truck models from GM, Ford and Jeep. Mid-size pickups account for only 3.6% of all new vehicles sold in the US, although market share in the segment has more than doubled over the past ten years. The truck ranges from $30,000 to $50,000 based on the 2021 model. The new Tacos will sell later this year, while hybrids will be available until spring 2024.
London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) is to be expanded across all the city's boroughs from August. The expansion means that drivers of non-compliant cars will be billed £12.50 ($17) for each day their vehicle drives in Greater London. Low-emission petrol cars, EVs and “classic cars” – those that are at least 40 years old – are exempt. Critics argue that the charge is too much of a money-spinner for the mayor.
Hitachi Astemo, the Japanese auto supplier, has announced that it found evidence of misconduct over testing and other procedures for car components that has affected a broader group of customers and plants than was previously revealed. The news follows the announcement last month that the Toyota affiliate Daihatsu rigged safety tests for 88k compact cars. Following an investigation, the company said that it had worked with customers to redo tests on nearly 24 affected products and that none of the customers involved was paid compensation, and all the costs associated with renewed testing were booked in the previous financial year.
Hitachi Astemo has disclosed that misconduct over testing and other procedures for components has affected a wider range of plants and customers by up to four decades. None of the customers involved were paid compensation, and all of the costs associated with renewed testing were already booked in the previous financial year. The 69 affected customers were both domestic and international, and the misconduct affected 22 products, including brake systems and railcar dampers. The company found that employees were wrongly handling tests and procedures in 15 plants in China, Mexico, Thailand, the United States, and Japan. A spokesperson listed various issues, such as employees reporting periodic test results to customers without running the actual tests on some products and running tests on suspension systems at incorrect temperatures. The company found that a lack of compliance understanding and resources led employees to prioritise costs and delivery times over quality and compliance. CEO Brice Koch said that he did not expect any impact on growth or costs due to the measures being taken to improve the system and the company.
The Canadian government is currently offering a wide-range of subsidies to encourage businesses to reduce its carbon footprint. These exemptions include technology discounts, grants, and tax credits to reduce the cost of environmental services. However, increasingly businesses are demanding ever more favourable terms and a lack of clarity on what other companies may have received is causing resentment amongst those who feel they have missed out.
Daihatsu Motor has discovered flawed data in collision safety tests for approximately 78,000 hybrid vehicles sold in Japan, including the Daihatsu Rocky and the Toyota Raize, which the parent company Toyota manufactures. Over 70% of the affected vehicles were sold under the Toyota brand. This is the second such incident for Daihatsu in less than a month.
Toyota has suspended shipments of its Toyota Raize hybrid vehicles produced by Daihatsu Motor after finding improper crash tests for the model. A total of 56,111 vehicles in Japan have been affected by the faulty safety checks, in which results for a pole used to measure impact on the left side were used for the right when both sides needed to be tested. This is the latest in a series of issues that have hit Toyota, after it acknowledged a data breach at its Connected service a week ago and Daihatsu disclosed separate crash test problems affecting 88,123 vehicles sold abroad last month.
Daihatsu has identified misconduct in its crash tests for a hybrid SUV model sold in Japan. The Rocky small SUV, which is also sold under the name Raize by parent company Toyota, has had shipments and sales suspended. Daihatsu has not yet decided on whether to conduct a recall. The crisis follows similar bad news in Europe, the US and elsewhere, which forced Japan's transport ministry to toughen scrutiny of car makers introducing new models. Earlier this year, Nissan, Subaru and Mazda were censured for improper testing.
As Tesla and BYD step up electric vehicle production, the chief executives of five Japanese automakers have released a unified message encouraging the need for a diverse approach to powertrains and alternative fuels to achieve more environmentally responsible vehicles. Japan's largest passenger car exporter, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), exhibited a range of hydrogen and carbon neutral fuel vehicles throughout the recent G7 summit alongside EVs. JAMA's united voice is in contrast to that of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, which in 2020 lost several members for failing to agree on the best way to tackle climate change.
