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Toyota GT86 convertible on 'indefinite hold'

Bad news, sportscar fans. According to a new report from What Car?, Toyota has cancelled plans to produce a GT86 convertible, a model based on the FT-86 Open Concept that debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. In truth, Toyota never actually confirmed it would produce the budget-friendly droptop in the first place, but rumors have been flying since last year and Toyota reportedly showed its embattled Scion dealers a FR-S version of the convertible in August. Presumably, this means that a lidless variant of the Subaru BRZ is not in the cards, either.
The reason for the move is unknown, though What Car? reports "one possible cause is weight; Toyota did say that further work would be required on rigidity before the convertible could be launched, and that could have added extra bulk that conflict with the regular GT86's ethos of light weight and agile handling." It doesn't look like that work will happen anytime soon, as "sources now say that the car has now been delayed indefinitely, with no place in Toyota's product plan in either 2014 or 2015." Still holding out hope? What Car? says the project could be "fast-tracked" if management decides it wants to reboot the program down the road.
one possible cause is weight; Toyota did say that further work would be required on rigidity before the convertible could be launched, and that could have added extra bulk that conflict with the regular GT86's ethos of light weight and agile handling. - See more at: http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/toyota-gt86-cabriolet-cancelled/1214782#sthash.iStIkWnz.dpuf

Recharge Wrap-up: First EV to attempt Dakar Rally, Mazda makes bioplastic parts

Zap and Jonway Auto brought their Urbee EV and their new Falcon A-380 SUV to the Peru Motor Show in Lima. Jonway sells its SUV and minivan in Lima through Dai-Ichi Motors, which displayed the cars at the show. According to the companies, their cars "received tremendous interest from the public," including private citizens as well as groups who would use the EVs for security guard service or campus use. Read more in the press release below. California is the US leader when it comes to EVs. In 2013, California had 70,000 battery electric and 104,000 plug-in hybrids. The state boasts almost half of the country's electric vehicles, thanks largely to state and local EV incentives that go beyond the federal tax rebate. California also leads the way in legislation, and nine other states have adopted California's ZEV mandate. Washington, Maryland, Georgia and DC also have their own EV incentives, while some utility companies also offer benefits for EV owners in other states. Still, EV sales have only made up about 0.7 percent of new vehicle sales in 2014. Read more at the US Energy Information Administration website. Toyota will be using landfill gas to help power its Kentucky manufacturing facility. Beginning in 2015, Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant will use electricity converted from landfill-sourced methane gas from Waste Services of the Bluegrass. It will provide enough energy to produce 10,000 vehicles each year. Plus it diverts methane - a greenhouse gas - from entering the atmosphere and helps improve the local air quality. Learn more in the video or Toyota's press release below. Mazda has developed a plant-derived bioplastic for making exterior and interior parts. The dyed plastic doesn't require painting, and it reduces petroleum consumption and carbon emissions in the manufacturing process. The bioplastic will be used for interior parts in the all-new MX-5 before being put into use on the exterior of future vehicles. Mazda will display prototype parts at the Eco-Products 2014 exhibit in Tokyo. Read more in the press release below. Acciona will enter the first-ever zero-emissions vehicle (pictured) to compete in the Dakar Rally. The vehicle uses an electric motor and lithium ion batteries, as well as solar panels to power telemetry and security systems. The Dakar Rally will take place from January 4 through 17 through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. See Acciona's Dakar EV in the video and read more in the press release below.

Toyota Mirai might be the name of new fuel cell car; it means 'future'

Anybody remember the Ford Futura? It wasn't exactly a world-beater of a car, so we don't think the name Toyota's has apparently chosen for its first production fuel-cell vehicle is a tribute of sorts. Though one never knows. Maybe Toyota just likes 18-inch-tall EVs. The Japanese automaker has apparently settled on a nameplate for its fuel-cell model, and the name will be "Mirai," which means "future" in Japanese, Bloomberg News says, citing a person familiar with the process that it didn't identify. Bloomberg couldn't get anyone with Toyota to comment on record about the name – and neither could AutoblogGreen – but we do remember that Toyota has bandied this name about before, so we're not setting anything down in stone quite yet. Last month, Toyota said the new fuel cell car would debut in Japan next April and would be priced at about $69,000 before any sort of government incentives kicked in. The company hasn't revealed details about a US release date or pricing here, but indicated that US sales would start where there's already some semblance of a hydrogen-refueling infrastructure. That pretty much means California and nowhere else in the states. The fuel-cell model is said to have a full-tank range of about 435 miles and that the tank can be filled up in about three minutes, similar to a gas-powered vehicle. In other words, the future.