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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Sept. 27, 2022) – Toyota’s i-FORCE MAX powertrain, as featured on the all-new 2022 Tundra, has earned a prestigious 2022 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems award. The i-FORCE MAX is a hybrid powertrain that relies on a twin-turbo V6 engine that couples with a unique motor generator and 10-speed automatic transmission to allow power to be transferred efficiently. “The i-FORCE MAX, also standard on the all-new 2023 Toyota Sequoia, is Toyota’s response to uncompromised performance, all while ushering in a new vision for future large electrified vehicles,” said Dante Boutell, vice president of Powertrain Design at Toyota Motor North America R&D. “We are so grateful that our hard work is recognized by WardsAuto...

LIBERTY, N.C. (Sept. 24, 2022) –Toyota is boosting workforce readiness and exposure to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in the North Carolina Triad with donations totaling $1 million to expand education opportunities for students. Communities in Schools of Randolph County (CiSRC) and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) will each receive $500,000 to help strengthen STEAM education programs that support career readiness. “We have 2,100 jobs to fill in North Carolina, so better preparing our next generation workforce is critical,” said Sean Suggs, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC) president. “Toyota is committed to providing resources, time...

Toyota has decided to end vehicle production at its Saint Petersburg plant in Russia. On March 4th we had to suspend manufacturing operations at our plant in Saint Petersburg due to the interruption in supply of key materials and parts. Since then, we have been closely monitoring the situation and evaluating the future sustainability of our business in Russia. During this period we have fully retained our workforce and ensured our facility was ready to re-start production if the circumstances allowed. However, after six months, we have not been able to resume normal activities and see no indication that we can re-start in the future. The decision to terminate production of Toyota vehicles in Russia is not one that we have taken...

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 22, 2022) – It all started in 1972 when Toyota announced its first manufacturing investment in North America. Today the automaker’s Long Beach, California, operation, TABC, Inc., celebrated 50 years of paving the way for Toyota to become a gold standard in advanced manufacturing. Building on five decades of quality, TABC is a primary supplier of parts for Tacoma trucks and produces past model service body parts for all North American produced Toyota vehicles. “For 50 years, the team at TABC has played an integral role in our company’s success, providing parts and components for our vehicles,” said Chris Nielsen, executive vice president, Product Support, and chief quality officer, Toyota North America. “So...

Toyota is reimagining the full-size sedan with the all-new 2023 Toyota Crown. As the first Toyota sedan to offer the HYBRID MAX System, drivers will be sure to feel the power from this powertrain. Offering drivers a premium, intuitive driving experience, the Crown blends supreme comfort, confident handling, innovative technology and a sophisticated ride into one striking, bold design. When the first Toyota Crown debuted in Japan in 1955, it was ahead of its time. Known for its innovation and ability to push the limits, the Crown was a mainstay in the U.S. until the last one was sold here in 1972. Now, after 50 years and 15 model generations, the Toyota Crown returns — better than ever with an all-new design, innovative powertrain, and...

PLANO, Texas (Sept. 22, 2022) – Toyota Motor North America and Kenworth Truck Company are proud to announce they have proven the capabilities of their jointly designed heavy-duty, Class 8 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) as a potential zero-emissions replacement of diesel-powered trucks with the completion of their operations in the Zero- and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) “Shore to Store” project at the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles basin and the Inland Empire. The primary goal for Toyota and Kenworth’s participation in the project was to nearly match the performance of diesel-powered drayage trucks while eliminating emissions to provide a sustainable solution in heavy-duty transportation. The baseline...

SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 21, 2022) – Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (Toyota Texas) celebrates the start of production for the all-new, all-hybrid Toyota Sequoia – electrified with passion and power. This born in Texas, built by Texans SUV has gone all-hybrid with the twin-turbo V6 hybrid i-FORCE Max powertrain, boasting exceptional horsepower and torque while minimizing fuel costs and carbon footprint. “The third-generation Sequoia marks a new era of electrified vehicles that will help move us closer to carbon neutrality while delivering on and exceeding customer expectations for this iconic SUV,” said Kevin Voelkel, president of Toyota Texas. “Our team members are beyond proud to add the Sequoia to our Texas-built production line-up...

Towing without a hitch? With today’s leaps in technology, it’s not science fiction. The concept is real, and Toyota is once again leading the way. Hitch ball attachments, safety chain connections and vehicle weight calculations have been reimagined and with Toyota’s new hitchless towing innovation — which is precisely what it sounds like — the limitations of towing may one day be a thing of the past.    How does towing without a hitch work? “It basically allows two vehicles to play follow the leader,” said Paul Fanson, senior manager of Toyota Motor North America Research & Design’s (TMNA R&D) Advanced Product Planning Office. “So the lead vehicle would be driven by a human. The follow vehicle would naturally follow behind as a...

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Sept. 14, 2022) – The first-ever 2023 GR Corolla might be the newest member of TOYOTA’S GAZOO Racing sports car family, but this hot hatch is ready to make a big impression on North American streets. Rooted in rally, developed under the scrutiny of master driver Akio Toyoda and inspired by Toyota’s sports car lineage, GR Corolla looks to rocket to the top of driver wish lists as it debuts at dealerships later this year. Powered by the lightweight, compact-yet-powerful G16E-GTS turbocharged, three-cylinder engine that pumps out an impressive 300 horsepower, GR Corolla will come in three grades: the Core grade, Circuit Edition and the limited, track-focused, MORIZO Edition. GR Corolla Core grade is expected to...

DETROIT (Sept. 13, 2022) – Toyota will be showcasing the future of automotive advancements at the upcoming 2022 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, bringing the all-new 2023 Toyota Crown to the exhibit floor. Twenty-two models and an exciting booth experience make the Toyota exhibit a must-see. ‘Toyota in America’ is the theme at this year’s show, honoring the auto manufacturer’s plants in Kentucky, Indiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama that help the country go places. The focus will be telling Toyota’s American journey through curated digital content on display screens found throughout the 18,000 square-foot booth. Through digital storytelling, the diversity of the brand and the advancements of today’s...

GAZOO. Ga-zoo. The word comes from the Japanese word “gazō,” meaning “image” or “picture.” When Toyota created its motorsports and performance division, GAZOO Racing, in 2007, the automaker had a vision: future garages filled with “ever-better cars.” Since its beginning, GAZOO Racing’s team of drivers and mechanics have taken that vision to astounding heights. From Nürburgring to Le Mans, the team has competed in some of the world’s most grueling endurance races, amassing many podium finishes, including five straight LeMans championships. The challenges and triumphs of each racecourse continue to inform the designs and engineering of GAZOO Racing’s performance cars: GR86, GR Supra and GR Corolla. The GR lineup offers something for...

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Sept. 7, 2022) – The 2023 Toyota GR Supra adds a new dimension to the driver experience thanks to a new six-speed intelligent Manual Transmission option. Already a blend of performance, power and style, the 2023 Supra’s addition of a stick shift brings hands-on engagement to the mix. It also holds to Toyota GAZOO Racing’s on-going tweaks to the fifth generation Supra, with yet another update to the model that continues to make its mark in the sports car segment. “When we revealed the GR Supra back in 2019, we tapped into a heritage nameplate for Toyota,” said Mike Tripp, vice president of Toyota Vehicle Marketing and Communications. “But we were regularly asked if there would be a manual version. We immediately...

No one expects to be in an emergency scenario, especially when behind the wheel. But emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere — so it’s best to be prepared. When it comes to the unexpected like floods or hurricanes, medical issues and accidents, there are a few things drivers can do to stay ready. Below are six tips to help drivers prepare their vehicles in case of an emergency situation: Vehicles Need Checkups, Too To help prepare for an efficient and safer journey on the road, it’s advised that drivers keep their vehicles in the best possible condition. This means making it a daily habit to inspect for physical damage before getting behind the wheel, and testing tire pressure and transmission fluid once a month. Additionally...

Toyota’s global investment climbs up to $5.6 billion, supporting electrification efforts LIBERTY, N.C. (Aug. 31, 2022) – Toyota announced an additional investment of $2.5 billion in its newest North American facility, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC). This investment adds capacity to support battery electric vehicle (BEV) battery production and adds 350 jobs, bringing the total employment to approximately 2,100. Scheduled to begin production in 2025, the facility will produce batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and BEVs. Last year, Toyota Motor Corporation announced a global investment of approximately $70 billion (8 trillion JPY*) for electrification efforts. Today, as part of this aspirational goal...

Toyota City, Japan, August 30, 2022―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces its sales, production, and export results for July 2022 as well as the cumulative total from January to July, including those for subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. and Hino Motors, Ltd. In July, both sales and production fell below the previous year's level due to the impact from the global spread of COVID-19, as well as the parts supply shortage caused by the increased demand for semiconductors. Overseas production fell below the production plan in July, mainly in China and North America. However, as a result of the efforts of our suppliers, overseas production reached a record high for July. Announced in Junethe global production plan for July was...

In 1972, Toyota changed the Michigan auto industry. But nobody really knew it then. See, the upstart Japanese company needed a place to perform vehicle emissions testing near the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office. So, it bought Hilbert’s Garage in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just a mile away from the EPA. Five years later, Toyota established the Toyota Technical Center (TTC) — its North American Research and Development operations — in Southfield, Michigan, before moving to a larger campus in Ann Arbor in the early 1990s and then expanding to nearby York Township in the early 2000s and adding satellite campuses in Livonia, Midland and Plymouth. In the late 2010s, the name changed from TTC to TMNA R&D. In the last half century...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Aug. 23, 2022) – Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) today announced four additional research projects are being added to the next phase of its pioneering automotive safety research. The projects include a study of human diversity in injury biomechanics, a look at technologies that can help prevent impaired drivers from endangering themselves or others, how to help predict when a driver is at risk of incapacitation or illness before it becomes an emergency and how to more effectively pass the operation of the vehicle between the driver and automation. These new projects join the nine announced in April as part of a five-year, $30 million commitment to examine the diversity of safety needs and analyze...

PLANO, Texas (Aug. 24, 2022) – Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to build, install and evaluate a 1-megawatt (MW) proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell power generation system at NREL’s Flatirons Campus in Arvada, Colorado. This 3-year, $6.5 million collaboration is funded in part by DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and supports DOE’s H2@Scale vision for clean hydrogen across multiple applications and economic sectors. The 1-MW fuel cell system integrates multiple Toyota fuel cell modules into a larger system to provide responsive stationary power...

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announces today that it has commenced sales of its completely redesigned Sienta minivan in Japan on August 23. Evolving the Sienta's key features of the driving ease of a compact car and convenience of a minivan that have been maintained from the first generation Supporting safe and comfortable everyday life as an even better companion for the lives of Japanese families Even more comfortable second-row seats with an easy-to-manage length Achieving a cabin space where passengers of all ages can relax easily in comfort Pursuing a design that blends into the everyday life of customers by providing a spacious interior and good maneuverability Available with Toyota Safety Sense and Toyota Teammate, the...

Pete Ljubevski is the group manager of Engineering & Data Innovation (EDI), a department within Toyota Motor North America Research and Development (TMNA R&D) that plays a key, though largely unsung, role in product development. This team of “digital engineers” use computer-aided design (CAD) to bring designs to life, so they can ultimately be manufactured into parts and components of future vehicles. Here, he pulls back the curtain a bit on their highly specialized work. What does the EDI group do? We are a digital and physical solutions provider for TMNA R&D. That means we take the sketches and clay models produced by CALTY Design Research (CALTY), TMNA’s design firm, and break them down into their individual parts and components...

Ypres, Belgium, August 21, 2022―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that it put its GR Yaris H2―a special hydrogen-engine version of the Toyota GR Yaris―through its paces in a demonstration run during the ninth round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Ypres. The rally was the first time for Toyota to drive an under-development hydrogen-engine vehicle on public roads outside Japan. Behind the wheel of the GR Yaris H2 was Toyota President Akio Toyoda, a.k.a. "Morizo". Joining him as co-driver* was former Finnish driver and four-time WRC champion Juha Kankkunen, who once won a world title with Toyota. The GR Yaris H2 took to the rally course as a test car in Special Stage (SS) 11 on the second day (August 20) of the...