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Major automakers urge Trump not to freeze fuel economy targets

WASHINGTON — Major automakers are telling the Trump administration they want to reach an agreement with California to avoid a legal battle over fuel efficiency standards, and they support continued increases in mileage standards through 2025. "We support standards that increase year over year that also are consistent with marketplace realities," Mitch Bainwol, chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group representing major automakers, will tell a U.S. House of Representatives panel on Tuesday, according to written testimony released on Monday. The Trump administration is weighing how to revise fuel economy standards through at least the 2025 model year, and one option is to propose freezing the standards through 2026, effectively allowing automakers to delay investments in technology to cut greenhouse gas emissions from burning petroleum. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not formally submitted its joint proposal with the Environmental Protection Agency to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Even so, last week, California and 16 other states sued to challenge the Trump administration's decision to revise U.S. vehicle rules. Auto industry executives have held meetings with the Trump administration for months and have urged the administration to try to reach a deal with California even as they support slowing the pace of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that the Obama administration rules outlined. One automaker official said part of the message to President Donald Trump at a meeting on Friday will be to consider California like a foreign trade deal that needs to be renegotiated. Automakers want to urge him to get automakers a "better deal" — as opposed to potentially years of litigation between major states and federal regulators. On Friday, Trump is set to meet with the chief executives of General Motors, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and the top U.S. executives of at least five other major automakers, including Toyota, Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG, to talk about revisions to the vehicle rules. Senior EPA and Transportation Department officials will also attend. Environmental groups are eager to keep the rules in place, saying they will save consumers billions in fuel costs. A coalition of groups plans to stage a protest outside Ford's headquarters in Michigan.

What's this about a Toyota Prius Prime trademark?

The fourth-generation Toyota Prius is growing ever closer to launch and might even already be on the roads testing in heavy camouflage now. A recent filing by Toyota with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the name Prius Prime hints that the popular hybrid might get something different with its new model. As is often the case with trademark filings, the information here is quite barebones. All that is officially known is that as of March 26, 2015, Toyota owns the Prius Prime name for "automobiles and structural parts thereof." Green Car Reports speculates that the moniker could be for anything from a new trim level to a completely different model in the hybrid's lineup. One possibility at least to consider stems from a rumor from last year. According to that speculation, the next Prius might be offered in two versions: one with a nickel-metal hydride battery getting around 55 miles per gallon and another with a lithium-ion pack capable of over 60 mpg. The Prime name could actually work for either of them. Of course, a trademark filing also isn't a guarantee of a vehicle actually seeing production. Automakers can sit on the names for years just for safety, but sometimes they really do point to the future. Related Video: Word Mark PRIUS PRIME Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044. G & S: Automobiles and structural parts thereof Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 86577082 Filing Date March 26, 2015 Current Basis 1B Original Filing Basis 1B Owner (APPLICANT) Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha TA Toyota Motor Corporation CORPORATION JAPAN 1, Toyota-cho Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken JAPAN 471-8571 Attorney of Record Roberta S. Bren Prior Registrations 3625763;4091489;4219530 Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

Toyota giving away its first hydrogen car in US

California isn't Nevada, but Golden State residents are nonetheless being given a chance to make a small bet on what may be a large prize, courtesy of Toyota. The Japanese automaker will start selling its first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the West Coast late next year, and before that, Toyota would like to pick up some positive publicity by giving America's first one away to one lucky Californian. Toyota is working with the Environmental Media Association, a nonprofit that melds celebrities with sustainability-related causes, on the promotion. The upshot is that folks can go to Bidding For Good and buy a $100 ticket to be eligible for the prize. Heck, people can get a half-dozen ducats for $500. What a deal. The winner will be announced October 18 at Warner Bros. Studios. Last month, Toyota unveiled a television commercial that proclaimed 2015 as the potential turning point for fuel-cell vehicle adoption. Toyota will start selling the FCV in Japan next April for about $69,000. Toyota says the fuel cell vehicle will be able to go about 300 miles on a full tank of hydrogen and, aside from some water vapor, will not have any emissions. Read more in Toyota's press release below. How the West Was Won: Toyota Offers Chance to Be a Fuel Cell Pioneer TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 8, 2014 – It's hard to be a trendsetter in places like Los Angeles or San Francisco, but one lucky Californian will blaze that trail when they park a new Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) in their garage. Toyota and the Environmental Media Association (EMA) are offering a historic opportunity to own the company's first zero-emission hydrogen vehicle when it arrives in California in late 2015. Toyota is the first major auto manufacturer to give away a fuel cell vehicle to an individual owner. As the infrastructure to support the vehicle is currently only available in the golden state, prize applicants must be California residents. Residents can purchase opportunities to win at www.biddingforgood.com for a cost of $100 per ticket or $500 for six. All monies raised will benefit programs of the EMA, a nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles. The winner will be announced at the 24th annual EMA Awards, presented by Toyota and Lexus, on Oct. 18 at Warner Bros Studios. The EMA awards honor individuals within the entertainment industry for efforts to promote environmental messages.