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Ex-Toyota Bill Reinert still in favor of hybrids, against EVs

Former Toyota executive Bill Reinert is so unsold on electric vehicles as a viable advanced-powertrain option for future transportation that he has praised – gasp – Ford, for its downsized internal combustion engines. Reinert was a key player in developing Toyota's original Prius hybrid and, in an interview published in Yale University's Environment 360 blog, said a hybrid that gets 60 miles per gallon is superior to an electric vehicle. "And that is why you will be seeing more fuel cells in the future." – Bill Reinert Reinert went on to praise the advances that automakers have made in improving fuel economy of fossil fuel vehicles, specifically namechecking Ford and its three-cylinder Ecoboost engine. He also has good things to say about both hydrogen fuel-cell electric technology as well as natural gas vehicles, but admits that limited fueling infrastructure will keep those types of vehicles in the margins for the near future. He also says that hydrogen vehicles aren't that great yet but that, "When most [manufacturers] investigate the two technologies [H2 and EVs], they see that FVCs offer more room for performance improvement and cost reduction potential. And that is why you will be seeing more fuel cells in the future." As far as pure electric, Reinert says lithium-ion batteries have "tremendous shortcomings" and talks about battery degradation, substandard performance in hot weather and, of course, limited single-charge driving range. He also says that people need to factor in the environmental impact of producing electricity for the grid to fully gauge how environmentally beneficial EVs can be. We'd like to take him and Tesla Motors Chief Elon Musk to what we think would be a spirited lunch. You can read the whole interview with Reinert here.

2015 Toyota Sienna SE keeps the swagger, adds thoughtful updates [w/videos]

Toyota found huge success with its "Swagger Wagon" rap video for the 2011 Sienna SE. It showed that a minivan could actually sort of maybe be fun and didn't have to be a lame vehicle for people who long ago lost their sense of humor. Now that there is a slight refresh for the 2015 model, the company is trying to capture that effervescent image again with a bunch of videos aimed at families.
For the latest launch, Toyota is partnering with some family-friendly online video stars and having them show off the Sienna's features. It's releasing YouTube videos from the creators of Action Movie Kid and Convos with My 2-Year-Old and a Vine from Eh Bee Family, and they all hope to show that it's cool to be a family with a minivan.
In terms of actual changes, though, the update is pretty light aesthetically, but the new tech inside seems aimed directly at mom and dad. However, unless you've got a sharp eye, spotting the exterior refresh might be tough. Toyota is tweaking the front end slightly by adding a dark mesh grille and trim. The headlights are also slightly reshaped to incorporate a new strip of available LED running lights.

130,000 Toyota Tundra pickups recalled over airbag issue

Toyota is announcing a recall for about 130,000 examples of the 2014 Tundra Tundra pickup in Crew-Max Cab and Double Cab configurations.
According to the company, the "garnish on the center pillars" inside the trucks might not have been installed correctly. If the vehicle were in an accident, the side curtain airbags could deploy in the wrong shape. Toyota says that it's not aware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this potential problem.
To fix the issue, the pickups will have their interior center pillars inspected, and if faulty, the pieces will be replaced. Obviously, this will be done at no cost to owners. Scroll down to read the full announcement.