Toyota
‘TOKYO: Toyota president Akio Toyoda says he will seek the understanding of US customers and legislators when he appears before a congressional hearing in Washington over the carmaker's huge recalls. He will meet face-to-face with US politicians next week after enduring criticism that he had responded too slowly to the company's safety crisis. "I will be happy to attend. I will speak with full sincerity," Mr Toyoda said yesterday in Nagoya, near the company's headquarters. "I am hoping our commitment to the United States and our customers will be understood."‘
‘- The 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHV) Concept vehicle will make its world debut next week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Based on the third-generation Prius, the PHV Concept expands Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, utilizing first generation lithium-ion battery technology and enabling electric operation at higher speeds and longer distances than conventional hybrids. When fully charged, the vehicle is targeted to achieve an electric-only range of approximately 12 miles and will be capable of achieving highway speeds in electric-only mode. For longer distances, the PHV concept reverts to “hybrid mode” and operates like a regular Prius. This ability to utilize all-electric power for short trips or hybrid power for longer drives alleviates the issue of limited cruising range encountered with pure electric vehicles. Beginning in late 2009, Toyota will begin global delivery of 500 Prius PHV vehicles. Of this initial fleet, 150 will be placed with select U.S. lease-fleet customers for market and engineering analysis. This program will allow Toyota to gather real world driving feedback and understand customer expectations for plug-in technology. In addition, the program will allow evaluation of the first generation lithium-ion battery’s durability, reliability and performance.‘
