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Toyota and Suzuki partner up on autonomy with capital alliance

TOKYO — Toyota and Suzuki will take small equity stakes in each other, the Japanese car makers said on Wednesday, as they seek to develop newer technologies and meet sweeping changes upending the global auto industry. The tie-up is the latest example of automakers chasing scale to manage costs and boost development. Automakers — especially smaller ones like Suzuki — are struggling to meet the breakneck growth of an industry transformed by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), ride-hailing and autonomous driving. Toyota will pay around 96 billion yen ($908 million) for a 4.94% stake in Suzuki, while Suzuki will acquire in the market around 48 billion yen ($454 million) worth of shares in Toyota. That is equivalent to 0.2% of Toyota's shares as of Wednesday's closing price, before the announcement. The companies said in a joint statement they intended to overcome challenges facing the industry by "building and deepening cooperative relationships in new fields while continuing to be competitors". They said they would strengthen technologies and products in which each of them specialize in. The firms had said in 2016 they were exploring a partnership, citing technological challenges and the need to keep up with industry consolidation. Earlier this year they said they would produce EVs and compact cars for each other. Automakers around the globe have been joining forces to slash development and manufacturing costs of new technology. Ford and Volkswagen have said they will spend billions of dollars to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles. Shares of Toyota and Suzuki closed little changed before the announcement. TOYOTA'S ORBIT The deal brings Suzuki firmly into Toyota' orbit, alongside Daihatsu, Hino Motors, Subaru, Mazda and Yamaha. Rival Nissan has an alliance with France's Renault, although that has been shaken following the ouster of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, and with Mitsubishi Motors. Honda has a tie-up with General Motors. Toyota has been looking to expand scale in next-generation technology and said this year it would offer free access to patents for EV motors and power control units. It believes that move would help it cut by as much as half the outlays for expanded electric and hybrid vehicle components in the United States, China and Japan. Supplying rivals would greatly expand the scale of production for hardware.

Toyota Aygo X-Wave pops its top

Chop the top off a car and you'll let the sunshine and warm air in, but you'll also get a car that's heavier, less rigid and costlier. That's why European hatchbacks in particular have been increasingly favoring retractable fabric roof panels that keep the structural integrity in tact while letting the sunshine in. The Fiat 500C, Citroen DS3 Cabrio and Renault Twingo all offer this type of setup – as do the Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1, and now their Toyota platform-mate is following them down the same path. Recently announced in the UK is this Toyota Aygo with X-Wave roof option. It's a black canvas panel that opens up the space above both rows of seats at the push of a button. Unlike the roofs on some of the other aforementioned European city cars, it doesn't extend all the way down to the base of the back window, but that just means it doesn't stack up and impede cargo space and rearward visibility. Toyota is bundling the X-Wave roof option with additional equipment like upgraded lighting, infotainment system and alloys for GBP895, taxes included (equivalent to $1,355 at today's exchange rates). That's a lot less than Fiat, for example, gets for upgrading from a 500 to a 500C on either side of the Atlantic. It's also even less than Peugeot and Citroen charge for similar options on their versions of the same vehicle in the UK, and that strikes us as a pretty cost-effective way to go motoring with the top down. LESS METAL, MORE FUN WITH AYGO'S X-WAVE OPEN TOP OPTION How do you make driving a Toyota Aygo even more fun? One sure-fire way is to provide some classic open-top enjoyment with a new retractable x-wave canvas roof. Looking ahead to longer, warmer days, Toyota has launched the x-wave as an option on the five-door Aygo x-pression model. Finished in black, the roof is factory fitted and is full length, ensuring that anyone travelling in the rear seats also gets to enjoy some of the wind-in-the-hair experience. The roof is electrically operated, using a simple switch next to the map light control in the headlining. Specifying the x-wave adds even more appeal to the Aygo x-pression, which also features 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, projector headlights with LED daytime running lights, the x-touch multimedia system with DAB and Bluetooth, reversing camera and air conditioning.

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.