Toyota Experimental New hybrid Semiconductor Material

It is said that the new testing technology in Toyota could make hybrids and other vehicles with electric powertrains more efficient. Using a "Camry" hybrid prototype and a fuel cell bus, Toyota Motor Corporation will bring a brand new technology to the streets of Japan for testing this year. The yearlong experiment in Japan will judge the performance of the new power semiconductors that use a silicon carbide (SiC) material, fitted to a Camry hybrid saloon prototype and a hydrogen fuel cell-powered bus.

Power semiconductors are found in the power control units that control the motor drive power in hybrids and other vehicles that use an electric powertrain. These units regulate the use of electricity, send power from the battery to the motors when the car is being driven, and recharge the battery with energy that’s accumulated when the car is stopping or decelerating.

The type of semiconductors used at present account for about 20% of a vehicle’s electrical losses, therefore making them more efficient is potentially a good way to increase the efficiency of the complete powertrain.

If we compare to the current silicon power semiconductors, the new, high-quality SiC type create less resistance when electricity flows through them.  This technology has been developed jointly by Toyota, Denso Corporation and Toyota Central R&D Labs, as a result of an extensive research and development project.

In the hybrid prototype, the automaker is installing SiC power semiconductors (transistors and diodes) in the PCU’s internal voltage step up converter and the inverter that controls the motor. It will collect data, including PCU voltage and current, driving speeds, patterns and conditions, such as outside temperature.

Comparing this information with data from the silicon semiconductors now in use, Toyota will evaluate the level of effectiveness improvement achieved.

The road test will take place mostly in Toyota City over a period of about a year from early February.

Toyota has recently started collecting operating data from a fuel cell bus that is in regular commercial operation in the city.

The information gained from the tests will be reflected in Toyota’s development program, with the goal of putting the technology to practical use as soon as possible.

http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2015/01/toyota-to-trial-new-sic-power.htm

Toyota breaks ground on New facility in Plano Texas Headquarters

With the help of a Tundra pickup truck equipped with a plow, Toyota’s North America CEO, Jim Lentz broke ground on the company’s new North American Headquarters in Plano.

The 1 million-square-foot campus will be located on a 100-acre plot of land off of Headquarters Drive and is expected to house nearly 4,000 employees as the company consolidates multiple corporate divisions of its operation. It’s a move Lentz said will help to better serve Toyota’s customers and the surrounding communities.

Toyota also revealed an installation during the ceremony: the word “TOYOTA” in large letters, standing 10 feet tall and 64 feet wide. Inside each letter are native Texan Yaupon Holly trees, which represent “wish” trees, a Japanese cultural tradition. Students and community participants also contributed to this event by adding handwritten notes to the trees representing their wishes, hopes, dreams and inspirations. The notes will be collected from the holly trees and placed into a time capsule at the new headquarters.

The trees will be planted forever once the Toyota headquarters is completed and will represent the long-standing friendship between Japan and the United States and the Company’s commitment to the Plano community.

“This is a day for new beginnings in Texas, and in that spirit we’re excited to break new ground,” Lentz said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “We’re confident that this campus will reflect the values of our company and those of our new neighbors. ... We’ll continue to build a foundation for our relationship between Toyota, the city of Plano and all of the North Texas communities our team members and associates will very soon call home.”

 

“The support and encouragement we’ve received from the community, civic leaders, business partners and nearby corporations has been nothing short of tremendous,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor North America chief executive officer. “Our goal is to build an environmentally-sustainable campus that our new neighbors will welcome and our team members and associates will be proud to call home.”

“We believe in building close to where our customers are, it’s good for local economies, it’s good for communities and it’s great for our dealer partners,” Lentz said at the Chamber meeting. “Strong sales momentum and a recovering economy have positioned the auto industry, as well as Toyota, for six years of consecutive growth. At the same time, we strengthen our commitment to Plano, as our company, our team members and our associates ... grow in our new home. We’re poised to achieve Toyota’s vision of enriching society through building vehicles.”

The $350 million campus is being developed by KDC with the architectural firm Corgan, two Dallas-based companies. JLL will be the project manager of the development. According to Lentz, the campus will incorporate native vegetation that requires minimal watering on all its landscaping, and will use reclaimed water for watering. As an example, and a symbolic move, the company plans to plant six holly trees, which were adorned with the hopes and wishes of Plano ISD students at the ceremony.

Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere joined Lentz, addressing about 100 dignitaries and Toyota “Pioneers” – team members and associates who have already made the move to North Texas.

“Today’s groundbreaking event marks another milestone for the future of Toyota and the future of the City of Plano,” he said. “Toyota has already proven to be a great corporate citizen and neighbor and we look forward to the continued impact they will have not only on Plano but on the whole North Texas region.”

“Breaking ground in Plano is an exciting and tangible demonstration of the great progress we are making in bringing our major North American business affiliates and leaders together in one location for the first time,” said Mike Groff, President and CEO of Toyota Financial Services. “As we create this best place to work for our people, we will strengthen our ability to put customers first and make a meaningful difference in the communities we are privileged to serve.”

The plan is to open the new headquarters in late 2016 or early 2017.

Mirai Drives Toyota to Fast Company's 'Most Innovative' List

Toyota has been named one of  world’s 50 Most famous Innovative Companies for 2015 by Fast Company magazine, recognizing the company’s leadership in the development and introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

As Fast Company writes, “Toyota plans to do for fuel cells what its Prius did for hybrids: make them ubiquitous and top of mind for environmentally conscious consumers.” 

Fast Company also named Toyota as one of the most innovative companies in the auto sector, writing: “While other automakers are experimenting with fuel cells as niche vehicles, Toyota is the only one to engineer a global release, making all of its fuel-cell components in house.”
 

The full story appears in the magazine’s March 2015 issue, available now on Fast Company's  website and on newsstands February 17.

Toyota Exhibit At 2015 Chicago Auto Show To Showcase All-New 2016 Tacoma And Eye-Popping Specialty Vehicles

Display at Chicago’s McCormick Place includes FT-1 concept, SpongeBob Sienna, TeenDrive365 distracted driving simulator, B.B. King’s guitar and future mobility concepts

The all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma is coming to Chicago along with several eye-popping concepts and specialty vehicles that are sure to keep cameras clicking around the Toyota exhibit at the Chicago Auto Show. Toyota’s presentation at McCormick Place is designed for consumer engagement and interaction. It features a broad range of new and historic vehicle displays, future concepts, simulators and fun, playful one-of-a-kind rides that show consumers the broad scope of the world’s most progressive full-line automotive manufacturer.

Making news in the Toyota exhibit at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show is the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma, rebuilt inside and outside in every aspect. Inspired by desert racing, Toyota made the ’16 Tacoma all about recreational action and athletic agility. For MY2016, the Tacoma is available in five grades in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. The trim levels include the work-ready SR, iconic SR5, athletic TRD Sport, tough-as-nails TRD Off-Road and top-of-the-line Limited.  All models have front ends with a bold upper grille and a taller, more muscular hood.  

Also, Toyota’s Camry mid-size sedan, the best-selling car in America for the past 13 years, and Corolla compact sedan, the world’s best-selling car of all time, will debut special edition models at next week’s Chicago Auto Show.

The all new TeenDrive365 distracted driving simulator will be also displayed. It was launched in January and it educates teens and their parents about the dangers of distracted driving. Using Oculus Rift and a Toyota Corolla, the TeenDrive365 simulator is the first time that the next generation virtual reality technology is being used to bring the dangers of distracted driving to life. The simulator will be accessible free of charge to the public at the Chicago Auto Show and other Auto shows across the country.

Appearance at Chicago Auto show will make also the head-turning FT-1 concept car, which has captured the imagination of car enthusiasts since its debut last year. Visitors can take a virtual drive in the FT-1 in specially-designed simulators.

Parents and their children will flock to The SpongeBob Movie 2015 Toyota Sienna for pictures. The popular family hauler has been transformed into a 3-D concept car celebrating everyone’s absorbent pal. It features a custom three-dimensional SpongeBob SquarePants exterior, complete with the character’s Superhero Incredible mask that blows real bubbles at the top of the car.  The interior features seating inspired by each of SpongeBob’s Bikini Bottom pals, along with a wood-grain dashboard, a custom Captain’s steering wheel, a blue-sky head liner and a sand-inspired floor.

Apart from all these, visitors will be able to see B.B. King’s guitar and jacket. Both props were used in the advertising campaign for the bold, new 2015 Toyota Camry that featured the blues legend. There is also a motorsports exhibit that presents Toyota’s involvement and success in NASCAR, and a heritage vehicle area that shows historic Toyota vehicles including an FJ25, a 1967 2000GT and the GTP Car #99.

Two concepts that suggest the possibilities of future mobility will also make a Chicago appearance, FV2 and i-ROAD.

"Toyota's exhibit at McCormick Place is unique to Chicago as we have the ability to combine a mix of various consumer engagement elements under one roof," said Don Johnson, Auto Show Engagement Manager at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Visitors to the Chicago Auto Show will see the past, present and future of Toyota in a range of interactive exhibits and photogenic displays."

The Toyota exhibit is designed and constructed by George P. Johnson. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j39iTXlStz4

New driving simulator from Toyota, Oculus, bringing VR driving simulator for teens

At the Detroit Auto show, Toyota and Oculus launched its new TeenDrive365 distracted driving simulator with Oculus Rift. They are teaming up to make driving safer for teens. 

TeenDrive365’s simulator will put the wheel in teens’ hands and challenge drivers to properly use the pedals in a 3D environment. The joint attempt to bring a Toyota- branded driving simulator for Toyota’s TeenDrive365 program to the VR headset, which puts those learning to drive behind the wheel of a real car (stationary, of course), but uses VR to drown them in a driving environment. The ambition is for the teens to be more comfortable behind the wheel when they do venture onto the real road. TeenDrive365’s simulator challenges them to use the pedals and the wheel properly, while emitting realistic sounds of a busy city street in a 3D environment.

Oculus Rift also provides an approximately 100° field of view, stretching the virtual world beyond your peripheral vision.

“Oculus Rift provides a virtual reality driving experience that mirrors real life behind the wheel, giving us a powerful, one-of-a-kind way to show parents and teens how everyday distractions can affect their ability to drive safely,” said Marjorie Schussel, Corporate Marketing Director for Toyota. “This is the most innovative example of how we’re helping teens and parents become safer drivers together through our ongoing Toyota TeenDrive365 initiative.”

TeenDrive365 will also use RealSpace 3D Audio, which adds extent to sounds you might hear (sounds behind you sound like they’re behind you, not just faint).

Toyota says the partnership is “the first time the virtual reality technology is being used to educate the public – teens and parents alike – about the dangers of distracted driving”. This aims to educate teens and parents about driving safety. Virtual Reality is a smart method for educating teens about the dangers of driving, but accessibility is a concern.

The focus on parents as role models is based on research from a national study from Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) and UMTRI. The study found a significant correlation between how parents and their teens drive, suggesting that parents are the biggest influence on how a teen will behave behind the wheel.

Since the Toyota TeenDrive365’s launch in November 2013, millions of people have engaged with its online and in-person resources. More than 10,000 have experienced the first iteration of its driving simulator, with nearly 80 percent saying they would reduce distractions because of the experience. 

The simulator will be available free of charge to the public at auto shows across the country. For a full list of dates, visit www.Events.TeenDrive365.com.