2000 Toyota 4runner 5speed Low Miles 1-owner on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2018 Technology of the Year Award | We chat with Lexus about the LC 500h's hybrid system

Every year, Autoblog editors test dozens and dozens of the newest vehicles available, sometimes even before they're available. From those vehicles, we select the ones we think provide the most innovative technology in the industry. Then we pare the list down to the very best, test them again, and vote on our winner for Technology of the Year. This year, Lexus's multi-stage hybrid system — as tested in the LC 500h — came out ahead of the rest of the finalists. We chose the 2018 Detroit Auto Show to hand over the award to Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager Jeff Bracken. He was kind enough to sit down with Autoblog Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Green Editor John Snyder at the Lexus stand to talk about the hybrid system, what it does, and what it means for the future of Lexus and Toyota. Check out the video above, and follow along for all our coverage from the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where we are taking a look at all of the new cars and technology that we'll see in the near future. Perhaps the next winner of Autoblog's Technology of the Year award is sitting somewhere on the Detroit show floor. Related Video: Green Detroit Auto Show Lexus Toyota Fuel Efficiency Green Automakers Technology Technology of the Year Coupe Hybrid Luxury Performance Videos Original Video 2018 detroit auto show

Toyota Mirai, Lexus LS show off Advanced Drive assists with OTA updates, AI

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp unveiled on Thursday new models of Lexus and Mirai in Japan, equipped with advanced driver assistance, as competition heats up to develop more self-driving and connected cars. Toyota's latest launch comes as automakers, electric car startups and tech giants invest heavily in so-called active safety features. The Japanese carmaker's new driving assist technology, or Advanced Drive, features a level 2 autonomous system that helps driving, such as limiting the car in its lane, maintaining the distance from other vehicles and changing lanes under the driver's supervision on expressways or other motor-vehicle-only roads. The system can even handle lane merges, and when passing trucks its lane system will move the car further to the opposite side of its lane. The car will recommend a course of action to a driver before executing it. The system also features a camera to monitor the driver's actions and level of attentiveness, and if the driver seems unresponsive or incapacitated, the car will pull itself over. The luxury sedan Lexus LS will be on sale from Thursday, costing between about 16.3 million yen ($148,600) and 17.9 million yen ($164,000), while the second-generation Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car will be offered on April 12 at between 8.4 million ($76,900) and 8.6 million yen ($78,750). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The new models are Toyota's first products brought to the market that provide over-the-air updates and utilize AI technology centered on deep learning, said Toyota executive James Kuffner, who is also the head of Toyota's research unit Woven Planet. "This is really an important first step in our journey towards software-first development," he said at an online briefing on Thursday, adding that the company has tried to design the software to be truly global and to provide re-usability. In the future, software features on cars will be "upgradable" and "more customizable" much like how people personalize their smartphones, Kuffner added. Fully self-driven cars are still likely to be years away, but rival General Motors early this year made a splash at the virtual Consumer Electronics Show with a fully-autonomous all-electric flying Cadillac concept, while Chinese search engine operator Baidu unveiled a partnership with local car brand Geely.

Recharge Wrap-up: Japan's new hydrogen rules could help Toyota, New Delhi pollution worse than thought

The European Union is funding Fastned EV fast-charging corridors in Germany. The EU has set aside 2 million euros as part of its Trans-European Transport Networks program for Fastned to build the charging stations along major highways in Germany. The EU plans to help fund a network of 155 fast-charging stations along popular routes in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Holland. Of those, Fastned will build 94 stations in Germany and Holland. Read more in the press release below. Revised hydrogen rules in Japan will make it easier to create hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has created guidelines allowing for liquefied hydrogen at filling stations, exceptions to required distances between precooling equipment and public facilities and less expensive materials for hydrogen storage. Toyota stands to gain from the new standards, as making fueling more readily available makes it easier to sell customers on the Mirai fuel cell vehicle. The result could be fiercer competition between Toyota and Tesla in Japan. Read more in the press release below, and at Tech In Asia. New research finds that New Delhi roads suffer from much worse pollution than the average levels recorded throughout the city. Pollution along roads is up to eight times higher than the numbers shown by urban background pollution monitors. With half of the city's population living within 300 meters of a major road, it's a major health concern. Joshua Apte of the University of Texas, Austin, recorded various pollution levels from inside vehicles in hopes of showing the difference between ground-level pollution and the lower numbers at monitoring sites. In the process, Apte found himself developing bronchitis on a quarter of his visits to the city. Read more at the Columbus Telegram. Featured Gallery 2016 Toyota Mirai View 15 Photos Related Gallery Fastned Fast Charging in Germany News Source: Fastned, Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Tech In Asia, Columbus TelegramImage Credit: Toyota Green Tesla Toyota Electric Hydrogen Cars recharge wrapup