2014 Toyota Prius Two on 2040-cars

Auto blog

What's this about a Toyota Prius Prime trademark?

The fourth-generation Toyota Prius is growing ever closer to launch and might even already be on the roads testing in heavy camouflage now. A recent filing by Toyota with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the name Prius Prime hints that the popular hybrid might get something different with its new model. As is often the case with trademark filings, the information here is quite barebones. All that is officially known is that as of March 26, 2015, Toyota owns the Prius Prime name for "automobiles and structural parts thereof." Green Car Reports speculates that the moniker could be for anything from a new trim level to a completely different model in the hybrid's lineup. One possibility at least to consider stems from a rumor from last year. According to that speculation, the next Prius might be offered in two versions: one with a nickel-metal hydride battery getting around 55 miles per gallon and another with a lithium-ion pack capable of over 60 mpg. The Prime name could actually work for either of them. Of course, a trademark filing also isn't a guarantee of a vehicle actually seeing production. Automakers can sit on the names for years just for safety, but sometimes they really do point to the future. Related Video: Word Mark PRIUS PRIME Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044. G & S: Automobiles and structural parts thereof Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 86577082 Filing Date March 26, 2015 Current Basis 1B Original Filing Basis 1B Owner (APPLICANT) Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha TA Toyota Motor Corporation CORPORATION JAPAN 1, Toyota-cho Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken JAPAN 471-8571 Attorney of Record Roberta S. Bren Prior Registrations 3625763;4091489;4219530 Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

Toyota profits up 23% on high US sales, despite mounting legal costs

Toyota earned $9.3 billion in net income in the financial year that ends next month. The number beats earlier forecasts and marks a five-year high for the automaker, with both operating income and revenue up by 9.5 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. Toyota saw quarterly profit enjoy a year-on-year jump of 23.4 percent, with the manufacturer earning more than $1 billion between October and December 2012. The good news comes in spite of the fact that the Japanese automaker actually endured an operating loss in North America, due in part to legal fees.
Toyota is set to pay more than $1 billion to owners who claim their vehicles decreased in value as a result of the company's recent spate of recalls. Even so, all three of the automaker's brands enjoyed a 13.5 percent sales increase in the US in the last quarter, beating the industry average. Toyota faltered in Europe, however, where it earned $99 million in operating profit last year, compared to $111 million in 2011. You can take a closer look at the company's full press release below for more information.

100-year-old Yellowstone ranger station now powered by Camry Hybrid batteries [w/video]

With a new project, Toyota is bringing power to the prairie and finding a way to reuse nickel-metal hydride batteries at the same time. The automaker recently completed assisting Yellowstone National Park's installation of a solar power station at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to electrify the ranger station and education center there for the first time. Toyota's major part in the system is an array of 208 batteries that are repurposed from old Camry Hybrid sedans, and they can store 85 kilowatt-hours of energy at a time. That's as much as one 85-kWh battery pack from one top-of-the-line Tesla Model S. Toyota figures that the whole setup should generate enough annual electricity for six average US homes, which is plenty for the ranch. For a constant source of power, the site plans to install a micro-hydro turbine in a nearby stream in 2016. Prior to creating the wall of batteries to store all of this energy, Toyota disassembled and tested each one. It also installed a new management system on them to maximize their lifespan. You can get a better idea of what the whole system looks like in the automaker's video, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Toyota Flips the Switch to Sustainable Power at Yellowstone National Park Lamar Buffalo Ranch Renewable, Zero Emission Energy System Is Now Online System Features 208 Re-used Camry Hybrid Batteries May 12, 2015 Torrance, Calif. (May 12, 2015) – The lights are on where the buffalo roam. At the Lamar Buffalo Ranch field campus in Yellowstone National Park, an innovative distributed energy system that combines solar power generation with re-used Camry Hybrid battery packs is now online. The result: reliable, sustainable, zero emission power to the ranger station and education center for the first time since it was founded in 1907. Announced in June 2014, the partnership among Toyota, Indy Power Systems, Sharp USA SolarWorld, Patriot Solar, National Park Service and Yellowstone Park Foundation is an innovative effort to extend the useful life of hybrid vehicle batteries while providing sustainable power generation for one of the most remote, pristine areas in the United States. Solar panels generate the renewable electricity stored within the 208 used Camry Hybrid nickel-metal hydride battery packs, recovered from Toyota dealers across the United States.