Toyota City, Japan – Toyota is using one of the hardest materials in nature after diamonds to develop a semiconductor chip it hopes will improve the fuel efficiency of its hybrids, such as the Prius, by as much at 10 percent. The company and its partners announced today that they have developed a silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor for use in automotive power control units. Toyota plans to begin test-driving vehicles with the technology on public roads in Japan within a year.
Filed under: Technology , Toyota Toyota introduced a pair of brand-new engines in Japan today, that it says will eventually spawn 14 different variants by 2015. Where these two engines stand out in today’s world, is that neither mill boasts direct injection, and both are naturally aspirated. The larger of the two is a 1.3-liter, while the smaller engine, a 1.0-liter, was developed in collaboration with Daihatsu. What makes these two unique is that they both use the Atkinson cycle. Now, we aren’t going to bore you by explaining just what this is – there’s Google for that. Suffice it to say, Atkinson engines are highly efficient, but that efficiency comes by sacrificing power. That’s why they’re so popular in hybrids, which can offset the power losses. This focus on fuel efficiency extends throughout the new engines, which also benefit from tweaks like a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system and a trick intake port, while the 1.3 employs Toyota’s iE variant of variable valve timing. Both engines can be fitted with stop-start tech. According to Toyota, when fitted with stop-start the 1.3 should provide around a 15-percent bump while the 1.0-liter will increase economy around 30 percent, when they arrive on the road.
TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 18, 2012 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the all-new 2013 RAV4 crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV).
Torrance, Calif., May 14, 2012 — With sales up 140 percent in April and 70 percent for the year, the 2012 subcompact Toyota Yaris proves to be an outstanding choice for performance, comfort, fuel efficiency and safety.