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Toyota follows Tesla, makes hydrogen patents open source

Back in June, Tesla said All Our Patents Are Belong to You as it released its electric vehicle patents to the world. CEO Elon Musk said at the time that patents, "serve merely to stifle progress, entrench the positions of giant corporations and enrich those in the legal profession." Despite some disagreement on which gasoline alternative (electricity or hydrogen) will power the automotive future, it looks like the folks over at Toyota like the idea of making advanced technology easier for others to get their hands on. Last summer, Tesla said that it would, "not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology." In an announcement today at CES, Toyota said it would let "automakers who will produce and sell fuel cell vehicles, as well as ... fuel cell parts suppliers and energy companies who establish and operate fueling stations" get free access to 5,680 fuel cell related patents around the world. That means if you're interested in building your own Mirai H2 car, you can now get some of the instructions. There's a catch, though, in that Toyota's H2 vehicle patents will only be free, "through the initial market introduction period, anticipated to last until 2020." Patents about making and selling hydrogen will be free "for an unlimited duration." Toyota's Senior VP of Automotive Operations, Bob Carter, said that, "At Toyota, we believe that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen. ... By eliminating traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed the development of new technologies and move into the future of mobility more quickly, effectively and economically." Toyota generates a lot of patents each year – 1,491 in 2012 in the US alone, for example – but it did not see fit to make them all open to competitors. While we don't know for sure how many automakers have decided to use Tesla's patents since they were made public, but it appears that interest in the technology is muted. We'll have to wait and see how the industry reacts to the influx of H2 information. We hope this will be one of the topics Musk addresses in his Reddit AMA later today. Toyota Opens the Door and Invites the Industry to the Hydrogen Future More than 5,600 fuel cell and related patents available for royalty free use Patents include industry leading fuel cell technology used in new Toyota Mirai January 05, 2015 2015 CES - TMS SVP Bob Carter's speech LAS VEGAS, (Jan.

NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.

Toyota shows a smoother autonomous Lexus for CES

Toyota is bringing a new research vehicle to CES. The TRI-P4 autonomous driving test vehicle, based on the Lexus LS500h, is a major step ahead, according to Toyota, as it has improved computing power and additional cameras for better reaction times. Earlier test mules have also used the LS as a basis, and the shift to the new, fifth generation LS brings chassis and steering-control benefits, so the vehicle's movements are smoother in automated mode. The camera tech has also been better integrated into the vehicle design, courtesy of CALTY in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Development has been swift, as the TRI's P2.1 car was unveiled in 2017. The P4 car will be used for Toyota Research Institute's Guardian and Chauffeur mode development. The two tiers differ somewhat, as TRI's Ryan Eustice explains: "Our Chauffeur development is focused on full autonomy, where the human is essentially removed from the driving equation, either completely in all environments, or within a restricted driving domain. Guardian, on the other hand, is being designed to amplify human performance behind the wheel, not replace it. The introduction of the new P4 platform will help us accelerate the development of both tracks when it joins our fleet this spring." The vehicle's situational awareness is boosted by two extra cameras facing on the sides, and a new imaging sensor both forward and rearward. Toyota says the P4's lidar setup is a carryover from the previous platform, but that its machine learning is much improved by its more powerful computer setup. The electricity required by the P4's computing power also comes from the hybrid battery, and as the computer "brain" is now housed vertically against the rear seat's backing, actual trunk space has been freed. More LS500hs will begin to be modified into TRI-P4 vehicles during spring 2019. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.