As part of Toyota's commitment to our nation's environment and public lands, today we announced that we have made a $3 million grant to the National Environmental Education Foundation to improve the capacity of community-based organizations, often called "friends groups", who are helping to protect (more…)

Toyota has been the target of a number of patent infringement suits involving hybrid electric vehicles in the last several years (e.g., see previous posts here, here and here).

So instead of waiting to be sued again, this time the (more…)

Earlier this week Toyota celebrated the opening of the first pipeline-fed refueling station in the US. Located in Torrance, California, it is the first hydrogen station to be directly connected to an active industrial hydrogen pipeline. It will provide fuel for Toyota’s as well as others fuel cell vehicle fleets in the Los (more…)

What choice will consumers make? After attending the 2011 Toyota Sustainable Mobility Seminar in La Jolla, California (April 4-7, 2011), this is what I walked away thinking. In all respects, Americans are already asking themselves questions like this about the life they live. With regard to the cars we drive it is time to think hard about the way we drive and what we drive. (more…)

In the world of electric vehicle manufacturers, Tesla Motors is known for their sporty and speedy Roadster that came onto the scene all at once and surprised even the most negative onlookers with their success. Now with the Roadster at their back, the Model S sedan in the works, and the partnership with Toyota still fresh in people’s minds, Tesla is taking their (more…)

Akio Toyoda, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Corp, promoted his “Prius Family” with the unveiling of the Prius v and Prius c at the Detroit Auto Show on January 10, 2011.

The Prius hybrid came to America in 2000 as “a misunderstood concept struggl[ing] for acceptance”. Now, with nearly 1 million (more…)

Of all the countries currently pushing towards a future in electric vehicles, the mainstay Japanese automobile manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are prepared to deliver some of the more interesting concepts. Nissan in particular has jumped into the market with (more…)

In a previous post, I wrote about patent attorney-inventor Conrad O. Gardner’s infringement suit against Toyota in which he accused the automaker of infringing U.S. Patent No. 7,290,627 (’627 patent).

In that case, Gardner alleged that Toyota infringed the ‘627 Patent by making and selling the second generation Prius, the (more…)

Capitalizing on the success of its Prius hybrid, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has announced that it will introduce six new hybrid models by the end of 2012. Toyota, whose Prius is the top-selling car in Japan, is stepping up its competition in the growing green vehicle market by introducing two hybrid versions of its luxury Lexus brand and four new Toyota (more…)

The relationship between Toyota and Tesla Motors will soon bear fruit. The two companies will be bringing RAV4 EV back from the scrap heap upon which it was tossed in 2003 after only a short time on the market. Tesla Motors will provide the powertrain for the all-electric small SUV.

Toyota made a small ($50 million) (more…)