2007 Toyota Tundra Sr5 Extended Crew Cab Pickup 4-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Unintended acceleration settlement hits Toyota's Q4 bottom line

Depending on how you want to look at things, the US Attorney's Office $1.2-billion dollar settlement with Toyota in March over its unintended acceleration recall was either a big blow to the company or completely inconsequential. From January to March, net income fell five percent to 297 billion yen ($2.89 billion), compared to 313.9 billion yen ($3.05 billion) a year ago. However, the automaker still posted record full-year profits worldwide.
Operating profit also fell in the US by 9 percent to $498.1 million for the quarter, but sales were up by 6 percent to 581,261 vehicles. According to Automotive News, global revenue was still up from January to March by about 13 percent and vehicle sales were up 6 percent to 2.58 million units.
However, the payment to the feds did little to hold the company back last year. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, Toyota had net income of 1.82 trillion yen ($17.7 billion), compared to 962.1 billion yen ($9.5 billion) in the last fiscal year. Total vehicle sales were also up.

Toyota expanding Aichi's test EV infrastructure in Japan

OK, now we're really confused. In the US, Toyota has been telling anyone who cares to listen that the future of advanced-powertrain technology is hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, not electric ones. In China, a Toyota joint venture is looking at EVs. Over in Japan? They've just decided to pony up a little more for testing electric-vehicle technology. Maybe something's lost in translation. Toyota has been running an electric-vehicle charging station trial project in Japan's Aichi Prefecture during the past couple of years and is now ready to expand that program, adding 43 new charging stations to the 104 already present. Many of the EVSEs are in municipal-owned properties or in mountainous areas (where EV batteries drain the fastest). Toyota's expanded program started running in Kariya City, Toyota City, Toyohashi City and Nagakute City this month, and testing will extend until the end of next March. There's more in Toyota's press release below. Toyota's electric-vehicle presence is limited here in the US, as the low-production RAV4 crossover is the only model sold here. Toyota executive Craig Scott was recently quoted as saying that the company questions whether there is sufficient demand in the US for pure electric vehicles. With that in mind, Toyota will debut its hydrogen fuel cell model in the US in 2015. Toyota to Test Expansion of EV and PHV Charging Infrastructure in Japan Toyota City, Japan, October 31, 2014-Toyota Motor Corporation announces that it will be testing electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Aichi Prefecture from November 1 until March 15, 2015. The tests will involve standard chargers for use with vehicles such as plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). The tests will be conducted jointly with four municipalities (Kariya City, Toyota City, Toyohashi City, and Nagakute City) and two companies (Toyota Industries Corporation and UNY Co., Ltd.), all of which are located in Aichi Prefecture. Toyota conducted similar tests in FY2012 and FY20131. In addition to targeting commercial, tourist, and accommodation facilities as in past tests, this year's tests will also involve cultural and social service facilities (including some in hilly and mountainous areas). Multiple chargers will be installed at certain commercial facilities where charger use was heavy in last year's tests. The aim will be to ascertain the optimal number and location of charging stations and their ease of use.

New drifting world record set in Toyota GT86

We have entered a drifting arms race. Last year, BMW smashed the Guinness World Record for the longest drift by hanging the tail out for 51.3 miles around a wet skid pad in an M5 at the BMW Performance Driving School in South Carolina. That beat the previous milestone of nearly seven miles. Now, Bimmer's record is up in smoke as well and is in the possession of a Toyota.
German driver Harald Müller pummeled the old record to drift for 89.55 miles around a 0.15-mile (235.5-meter) course in Samsun, Turkey, in a Toyota GT86 (or Scion FR-S as it's known in the US). According to the Guinness World Records website, it took him 612 laps and 2 hours, 25 minutes and 18 seconds to manage the achievement. Sit back to watch a few minutes of the German's two and a half hours behind the wheel with the tail out.