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Lexus Teammate advanced driver assist tech headed to 2022 LS 500h in the U.S.

Toyota showed off a new advanced driver assist system for the Mirai and Lexus LS in Japan on Thursday this week. At that time, there were details, but no indication of whether the system would make it to U.S.-bound Toyota and Lexus products. We have answers today. This Level 2 driver assistance system will be deployed in the U.S. in the 2022 Lexus LS 500h when it launches later this year. Lexus is naming it “Lexus Teammate,” making it obvious from the start that this is no fully autonomous vehicle. The system is your teammate; itÂ’s not taking over, and instead the two of you work together. With Teammate activated, the vehicle can accelerate, brake and steer to maintain the lane and follow/keep pace with other vehicles. ItÂ’s able to change lanes on its own to go around slower vehicles and can also navigate interchanges. Lexus says itÂ’s usable on “limited access highways,” and notes that itÂ’s only “partial hands-free” in operation. The company also notes you must keep your eyes on the road for it to work — thereÂ’s a camera that monitors the driver and makes sure of this. “We are very proud of Lexus Teammate, which is the culmination of five years of close collaboration between our technical centers in Japan and the U.S.,” says Derek Caveney, executive engineer at ToyotaÂ’s Integrated Vehicle Systems team. “We conducted simultaneous development and rigorous testing in both markets with the goal of achieving industry-leading advanced driver assistance functionality.” Lexus isnÂ’t saying what other vehicles we should expect this system to be in next, but both the LS 500h and LS 500 (sometime shortly after the hybrid) will have it this fall. In addition to the highway assist, Lexus announced a parking assistant. Named Advanced Park, itÂ’s able to assist in hands-free parking for parallel parking or backing into a space. ItÂ’ll control steering, acceleration and gear changes when parking itself, and youÂ’ll be able to watch how itÂ’s doing using the 360-degree camera tech. Just press a button, and your Lexus should park itself. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lexus might introduce an all-electric successor to the CT hatchback

Despite sales of the Lexus CT hybrid hatchback ending last year in the U.S., Lexus isn't planning to abandon the hatchback segment in favor of the new compact crossover, the UX. The CT remains on sale in some countries, and Lexus's European boss is adamant the brand has to keep offering hatchbacks. Talking to the British AutoExpress, Lexus's Pascal Ruch says the CT has an important purpose, which is introducing new customers to the Lexus brand. Ruch told AutoExpress that the CT has a high "conquest ratio" of 70-75 percent, and that a CT customer is different from the envisioned UX customer. "I believe that all the segments we are now in, it's important to stay there," added Ruch. AutoExpress says the CT could be replaced in 2020 with a model that would be offered both as a hybrid and as all-electric, built on Toyota's new TNGA global platform. The hybrid is likely to be the 177-horsepower 2.0-liter unit seen in the new European Auris, which corresponds to the new U.S. market Corolla Hatchback. The CT's successor could be sold as both a conventional hatchback and a more crossover-like version, much like the new Ford Focus and its Active trim level; Ruch says Lexus is thinking through a new approach for the CT. The CT was introduced way back in 2011, selling some 15,000-17,000 examples per year in the U.S. until its first really weak year, 2016, which saw less than 9,000 cars sold. The following year, which proved to be its last model year in the United States, sales dropped under 4,700. In Europe, it's different for Lexus: The brand overall sells only some 45,000 cars per year, and the CT's steady sales of more than 8,000 cars per year are quite important for it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Meet the Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2016

If you've been keeping track, you won't be surprised with the number one entry in this year's list of greenest cars from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In fact, the top three spots on the 2016 list are all the same as they were in 2015. After that, things get interesting. For one thing, this is the first Greenest list that doesn't have any purely internal combustion engine powertrain on it. Hybrids, yes, but if you want to be one of the top 12 greenest cars this year, you'd better have some sort of electric angle. ACEEE says that the conventional, gas-powered Smart Fortwo and Chevrolet Spark just missed the cut. In a statement, ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan said, "The 2016 scores are in, and plug-in electric vehicles are outpacing all other vehicle offerings in terms of environmental friendliness." Like last year, one of the noticeable vehicles missing from the green list is the Tesla Model S. One reason? ACEEE takes curb weight into account (lighter is better), and the Model S is a heavy beast. The ACEEE doesn't just look at the clean side of the ledger. It also puts out a "meanest" list. These are the vehicles that pollute the most, not only from their tailpipes, but also any pollution created during the entire manufacturing process, from mining the raw materials to the energy used to produce the vehicle at the factory. The entire list, from greenest to meanest, is done using a "cradle to grave" analysis. You can see how the ACEEE determines its rankings here, explore the entire greenest cars site here, or click through our galleries to see which vehicles are extra green (above) or extra mean (below) this year. 12: Mercedes-Benz GL550 4MATIC View 12 Photos More Electric Cars than Ever on Greenest Vehicles List Electric Vehicles Nab 9 out of Top 12 Spots in ACEEE's Environmental Vehicle Rankings Washington, DC: Despite a tumultuous year for the automotive industry, manufacturers have continued to offer exciting technology options for a growing vehicle market. Today at greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 19th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles. The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2016: Greenest Score 1. Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Convertible / Coupe 63 2. Chevrolet Spark EV 63 3. Fiat 500E 62 4. Toyota Prius Eco 61 5. Volkswagen E-Golf 61 6. Nissan Leaf S / Leaf SV 61 7. Kia Soul Electric 59 8.