2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser Base Sport Utility 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla says it will adapt cars to China's charging standard, Toyota previews Mirai for NY officials

Tesla says it will adapt its cars to meet China's charging standards. As Tesla sales in China fail to meet targets, in part due to range anxiety, the company has been working to build chargers for its vehicles to allay concerns surrounding its unavailability and its incompatibility with the country's charging standard. While China says it won't support charging infrastructure incompatible with its own, Tesla says, "We will fully cooperate with the Chinese government in drafting the national charging standards as well as building public charging infrastructure." Cooperation stands to help Tesla meet its sales goals in China, and to help China meet its goal of promoting electric vehicles. Read more at The Wall Street Journal. Abstract Ocean offers LED replacements for the Tesla Model S license plate bulbs. The folks at Teslarati purchased and installed a set to review and shared the results. At $21.99, the LED License Plate Bulb Kit offers a slightly more high-tech lighting solution to match the high-tech nature of the Model S, and is appropriately inexpensive for a decidedly minor upgrade. It is also very easy to install, requiring just a Phillips-head screwdriver and a few minutes. While you're not likely to see any significant energy savings from the LED bulbs, the reviewer likes the look and is happy with the customization experience. Read more at Teslarati. Toyota and Air Liquide hosted a ride-and-drive of the Toyota Mirai at the New York State Capitol. As the hydrogen fuel cell car gets closer to its US launch, Toyota has been hosting informational events to get the word out about the vehicle and hydrogen technology. At the event, which included an informational session on the hydrogen economy, elected officials got to get behind the wheel of the zero emissions vehicle. "After more than a century with the automobile, we are making decisions about socially significant technologies aimed at building a true hydrogen society over the next 100 years," says Toyota Group Vice President of Government Affairs Steve Ciccone. Air Liquide and Toyota are teaming up to develop hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the Northeast US. The Mirai goes on sale in the Northeast in 2016. Read more from Air Liquide.

Suppliers love Toyota and Honda: Why that matters to you

You might think that a survey of automotive suppliers and their relationship with OEMs is the automotive equivalent of nerd prom. In some ways that's what the North American Automotive OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index (WRI) is. The study, the 17th annual conducted by Planning Perspectives Inc., is based on input from 652 salespeople from 108 Tier One suppliers, or, PPI points out, 40 of the top 50 automotive suppliers in North America. Suppliers to General Motors, Ford, FCA, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. But the results have consequences in terms of tens of millions of dollars for OEMs - and in the quality, technology, and cost of the next vehicle you buy. There are a couple of ways to look at the results of the WRI. One is, "So what else is new?" And the other is, "Damn! How did that happen?" The study looks at five relationship areas — OEM Supplier Relationship; OEM Communication; OEM Help; OEM Hindrance; Supplier Profit Opportunity — within six purchasing areas — Body-in-White; Chassis; Electrical/Electronics; Exterior; Interior; Powertrain. In the overall rankings, Toyota is on top for the 15 th time in 17 years, with a score of 328. Honda, the only company to best Toyota (in 2009 and 2010), comes in second, at 319. Those two companies, explains John Henke, president of PPI, have collaborative working arrangements with colleagues and suppliers alike built into the very fabric of their cultures. This, however, is not a situation where one can readily conclude it is about "Japanese companies," because the third company with headquarters on the island of Honshu, Nissan, came in dead last. This is the "How did that happen?" portion. The Nissan score of 203 puts it 125 points behind Toyota. There hasn't been a number that low since the then-Chrysler Corp. scored 187 in 2010, when the company was clawing its way out of the recession. Clearly, the suppliers don't feel particularly engaged by the buyers at Nissan. Henke explains that whether a company does well or not on the WRI is rather simple. All people do things based on what they're measured on. "If you're measured on taking 10% out of your annual buy, you immediately know how to do it. But if you're also measured on improving relations, suddenly there is a new dynamic as to what you can do to achieve both.

Toyota reveals new TS040 Hybrid LMP1 [w/videos, poll]

There's a new season of motor racing upon us, and while that doesn't always mean a new crop of cars in every series, in the case of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship, that's exactly what it means. Porsche recently revealed its new 919 Hybrid and Audi its revised R18 E-Tron Quattro. Now it's Toyota's turn.
Revealed today at the Paul Ricard test track in the South of France, the new TS040 Hybrid is based on the TS030 Hybrid it replaces, redesigned to meet the latest regulations established by the FIA and ACO for the World Endurance Championship and its flagship race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In accordance with said regulations, the TS040 is two inches narrower than the TS030 and also incorporates a new hybrid powertrain.
The previous 3.4-liter V8 has been replaced by a 3.7-liter V8 developing 513 horsepower, and the new engine is coupled to an Aisin AW electric motor at the front, a Denso electric motor at the rear and a Nisshinbo super-capacitor that combine to kick out an extra 473 hp, giving the system a combined output of nearly 1,000 horsepower while consuming 25 percent less fuel than last year's car. It also gives the TS040 all-wheel drive to help channel all that power to the road.