1990 Toyota 1/2 Ton Pickup on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota, Morgan Spurlock say hydrogen can be bullsh*t

Toyota wants the world to know that it's not full of crap about hydrogen as the future of fuel. Months before the Mirai arrives at dealers on the West Coast, the automaker is trying to get the word out through documentary series called Fueled by Everything. In the first episode, director Morgan Spurlock (best known for Super Size Me) shows how to make the futuristic fuel cell sedan run on a load of dung. After some processing, anyway. The whole point of the series is to show viewers the myriad sources available to generate hydrogen, and Toyota starts at an attention-grabbing extreme. A pickup truck takes a bed full of cow manure and demonstrates the steps needed to make it into hydrogen for the Mirai. Of course, the new model gets lots of screen time, too. For those in the audience curious to learn more, Toyota also digs a little deeper into the generation process on the series' website. Fueled by Bullsh*t Toyota Taps Morgan Spurlock to Direct First Video in "Fueled by Everything" Series TORRANCE, Calif. (April 22, 2015) – Sometimes reality stinks. Toyota has tapped award-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock to show how calling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles "bullsh*t" isn't far from the truth. "Fueled by Bullsh*t" is the first online video in a multi-part "Fueled by Everything" series aimed to educate a broad audience about the innovative ways hydrogen fuel can be made from renewable sources. Spurlock directed the 3-minute piece which features a dairy farmer and mechanical engineer as they follow cow manure from a mooing supply source to its ultimate use in powering the hydrogen fuel cell electric Toyota Mirai. "This project gave us the opportunity to dive into a world that most people don't understand but has the potential to change our world," said Spurlock. "Witnessing manure, something most of us view as being pretty disposable, being transformed into hydrogen fuel to power a car was pretty remarkable. I think this short film is pretty compelling evidence of what could be possible in the years ahead." Beyond high quality dung, hydrogen can be manufactured from other renewable energy sources like solar, wind and biogas from landfills. These production methods can result in a domestic and locally sourced fuel that powers the Mirai while emitting only water vapor from the tailpipe. The multi-series video campaign is launching through the Toyota Mirai website (www.toyota.com/mirai) and additional digital properties with paid online media support.

Lost power in a winter storm? Just hook up a Toyota Prius like this guy did

The Toyota Prius' battery pack just got something like a five-star rating from a truly seasoned professional – a 50-year aircraft technician. Bob Osemlak, who'd served more than three of those five decades with the Canadian Air Force, brought electricity back to his home in December during a heavy ice storm thanks to his gas-electric car. His ingenuity allowed him to turn on lights, furnace, refrigerator and the TV. The Thornhill, Ontario resident lost power for nearly a day on December 21 – not nearly as much as millions of other people hit by the recent storm - and so he still set about using his Prius for backup power, according to EV World. His ingenuity allowed him to turn on lights, furnace, refrigerator and the TV. Being an aircraft technician for so long brought Osemlak the ability to home-brew his V2H set-up that he urges other people to avoid, for safety reasons. He had planned for a potential power outage by installing an outlet on his furnace and, when the storm struck, he ran a cord through the basement window to the car. During the nine hours Osemlak used his Prius for backup power, the car's fuel gauge only reduced less than one bar, or roughly the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. It wasn't the first time Osemlak had played with his vehicle. In the 1960s, while stationed in Winnepeg, Manitoba, he created a car starter. Every hour, the car would start up and run for 10 minutes to avoid being frozen solid in frigid winter temperatures. Featured Gallery News Source: EV WorldImage Credit: Flickr Green Toyota Green Culture Hybrid PHEV vehicle to grid storm

Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ successor canceled?

Rumors indicate that the Toyota 86 is done for. Japanese Nostalgic Car is quoting Japanese sources as saying Toyota and Subaru have parted ways regarding the 86 and that the current car's replacement is off the table. According to JNC, the Japanese magazine Best Car is readying a report that the 86/BRZ successor has been canceled. JNC also considers the fact that in Japan, there will be a four-cylinder, 197-horsepower version of the new Supra, ready to continue where the 86 will leave the market. Back in 2016 the automaker seemingly confirmed that a replacement for the rear-drive car was under development, but plans can change and with a cheaper Supra version for sale in markets outside the U.S., we have to wonder if the 86 replacement has been shelved. The 86, while balanced, has only received mild enhancements and not a lot of extra power during its near-decade long time on the market, and it isn't such a strong seller that it would necessarily merit the effort of Toyota developing a successor on its own, particularly without the help of a partner like Subaru or BMW. At the same time, Autocar quotes Toyota boss Akio Toyoda on the Supra: "At the end of the day, is there anything better than a tight rear-wheel-drive sports car? I hope this won't be the last Toyota sports car you see from us in the future." While that is far from a solid statement of Toyota's future intent, it paves the way to offerings below the Supra, and shows how much the company boss cares about driver involvement. There is a distinct possibility that the company will re-introduce the MR2 as an electrified, rear-drive sports car – which could still be a joint venture with Subaru, as Japanese Nostalgic Car theorizes. Whatever's in the pipeline – and we hope there is something in the pipeline – it seems Toyota's heart is in the right place: driving the rear wheels. Related Video: