2012 Toyota Highlander Limited on 2040-cars

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Toyota wants 30 percent of China sales to be hybrids

Two years ago, China set tough fuel economy standards for passenger cars, taking another step toward addressing its smog and pollution problems; average fuel consumption was mandated as 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers (about 34 miles per gallon) by this year and five liters per 100 km (47 mpg) by 2020. Toyota wants more of its fleet to help its numbers there, and is working to make 30 percent of its sales by 2020, according to a report in Japan's Nikkei. The Japanese carmaker sells 21 passenger cars and vans in China but only two of them are hybrids, the Prius and the Camry Hybrid (in the US Toyota sells 20 passenger vehicles in but seven of them are hybrids). It unveiled two more hybrids at the Shanghai Motor Show that will be built in China, the Corolla Hybrid (pictured) as part of its joint venture with FAW Group, and the Levin HEV as part of its joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC). There is also an electric vehicle on the way as part of the GAC partnership, to be sold under the China-only Lingzhi brand. It will still be a gigantic hurdle to make that 30-percent target even after doubling the hybrid line-up. Toyota sold 1.03 million vehicles in China in 2014, but has sold only 90,000 hybrids in total during the ten years the Prius has been on the market and five years of the Camry Hybrid. News Source: Nikkei, Nikkei Green Auto Shanghai Toyota Electric Hybrid

eBay Find of the Day: Harley-Davidson powered Toyota Prius [w/video]

Sometimes we pluck cars from the listings of eBay Motors because they're old and interesting, some for being simply lovely, some for rarity and some for pure fun. And sometimes we pick eBay Finds of the Day, because they're hacked apart Toyota Prius' with Harley Davidson V-twin-power; concocted by the same mind that brought you innumerable Jalopnik articles and is partially responsible for the joy that is the 24 Hours of LeMons. This time it's that last one.
A fairly subtle tweet from long-time Jalop contributor and well-regarded grease monkey, Murilee Martin, hipped us to this crazy Frankenstein Prius. Built from the bones of a 2008 Toyota and the heart of a 1986 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883, the motive portmanteau is, well... it's a thing.
Toyota's advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive has been unceremoniously wrenched and snipped out of the engine bay, making room (via an artful hole in the hood) for the towering, bored out V-twin. Or, as the maestro himself puts it:

NHTSA opens safety investigations into Toyota, GM and Honda crossovers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is evidently keeping itself very busy these days, as the federal agency has just announced it is launching or renewing investigations into Toyota, Honda and General Motors crossovers.
2006-2008 model year Toyota RAV4 crossovers are under review for allegations of rear tie-rod rust which can result in failure. NHTSA also said it is probing some 35 complaints about 2005 Honda Pilot models with inappropriate activation of the vehicles' stability control system. The alleged malfunction can cause the vehicles to slow down or stop in bad unsafe situations. At the moment, NHTSA is reviewing a petition regarding the Pilot issue, a move that will determine whether it needs to open a full-blown investigation.
In addition, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia three-row crossovers built in 2007-2009 are getting looked at for "loss of low beam headlamp" function. One complainant said the wiring in his Outlook overheated and melted. NHTSA says it has received 415 complaints about the problem and a GM spokesman confirmed that the automaker already started a "Customer Satisfaction Program" in December to address the issue.