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Nearly 700,000 Toyotas and Lexuses named in fuel pump recall

In an announcement posted to its corporate press room, Toyota made known a voluntary safety recall on select 2018 and 2019 Toyota and Lexus models. The recall includes roughly 696,000 vehicles and deals with a fuel pump that might stop working. An internal investigation into the issue is under way.  Affected rides include the Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Avalon, Corolla, and Tundra, as well as the Lexus LS 500, LC 500, RC 350, RC 300, GS 350, IS 300, ES 350, LX 570, GX 460, RX 350 NX 300, RX 350L, and GS 300. The Avalon, Corolla, NX 300, RX 350L, and GS 300 are restricted to 2019 model years, while the others are 2018 and 2019 model years. The potential danger in this issue is pretty obvious. Should the fuel pump stop, the vehicles could sputter, stall, and come to a stop, likely without the ability to restart the cars. Toyota notes warning lights and messages would display should this occur, but by then, it'd be too late. Although Toyota made the announcement this week, the investigation is not yet complete, and therefore, a fix has not yet been specified. The resolution, when determined, will come free of charge to affected customers. Toyota plans to send out notifications for affected vehicles in mid-March. 

Toyota Supra and BMW Z5 coming in 2018 from Austria

A German automaker and a Japanese one get together to jointly develop a new sports car. So where do they build it? In Austria, of course! This according to a newspaper based in Graz, where contract manufacturer Magna Steyr is also based. BMW and Toyota have reportedly been working on a joint sports car program for a while. Toyota's version is expected to revive the Supra name and spirit, while BMW's is to replace the aging Z4 roadster and potentially wear a Z5 badge. Details are still up in the air – or on tight lockdown – but we can expect both to feature six cylinders mounted up front, driving the rear wheels through a proper manual transmission. Now Kleine Zeitung reports that both versions will be built on their behalf by Magna Steyr, and that they'll launch in 2018. The contract manufacturer already builds the Mini Countryman and Paceman for the BMW Group, but the Paceman is being discontinued, and the next-generation Countryman is slated to be moved in-house – following the lead of the Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Aston Martin Rapide. Though the Graz facility still builds the Mercedes G-Class and is soon slated to begin manufacturing for Jaguar Land Rover, the Mini crossovers' departure leaves Steyr with leftover capacity. BMW intends to fill some of that with assembly of the 5 Series sedan, but the joint sports car project ought to fill in the rest. This would mark the first time that Magna Steyr would build a car for Toyota – or any Asian manufacturer for that matter, after a previous contract with Infiniti fell through. It wouldn't be the first time the two have collaborated, though: the Kleine Zeitung report indicates that the FT86 Open concept (in the gallery below) was built by the Austrian workshop, which has expertise in crafting convertibles as well. Steyr has done the roof assemblies for the Mercedes SLK and Opel Astra TwinTop, as well as complete production of the Porsche Boxster and Saab 9-3 Convertible, to name just a few. Expect BMW's version to offer some sort of folding roof mechanism, but it's too early to speculate on the prospect of a convertible Supra. Related Video: Featured Gallery BMW Z5: Spy Shots Related Gallery Toyota FT-86 Open Concept: Geneva 2013 View 13 Photos News Source: Kleine Zeitung via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Copyright 2016 AOL BMW Toyota Convertible Coupe Performance bmw z5

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW Next 100 video, how Nissan "tops off" battery

BMW explains the ideas behind its Vision Next 100 concept car that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. As BMW celebrates its 100th birthday, it wants to look into the future rather than dwell on its past. This involves the digital and analog worlds working together "to create a seamless experience." Hence the "live geometry," wherein physical parts of the car move to translate digital information to the driver. The video also gets into the future of driving modes, like "Ease," for more autonomous driving, and "Boost," for when the driver wants to take control to enjoy some motoring the good, old-fashioned way. Check out the video above, and read more from Hybrid Cars. Nissan has managed to find a way to boost the range of EV batteries inspired by pouring a glass of beer. The automaker has found that after a full charge, one can wait a few minutes for subsequent "minicharges" to "top off" the battery. The voltage dips slightly, much as the foam does on a pint of beer, allowing the battery to accept some more juice. The result is an extra 0.7 percent of energy, which could mean just enough extra range to reach the next charging station. Read more from Automotive News. Hyundai has delivered its first Tucson Fuel Cell in Ontario, Canada. The lucky recipient is Joseph Cargnelli, Chief Technology Officer of Hydrogenics Corporation, a company based on hydrogen technology. The expansion into Ontario follows Hyundai's trial of six Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Read more at Green Car Congress. Toyota has entered a public-private partnership to test an end-to-end hydrogen supply chain in Japan. The collaboration with the Kanagawa Prefectural Government, the municipal governments of the cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki and three private companies to create renewable hydrogen to power forklifts. It will use wind energy to electrolyze hydrogen, which will then be shipped to a factory, a vegetable and fruit market and two warehouses to be used in the fuel cell-powered vehicles. This supply chain is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent compared to traditionally fueled forklifts. Read more from Toyota. Related Gallery BMW Vision Next 100 Concept News Source: Hybrid Cars, YouTube: BMW, Automotive News, Green Car Congress, Toyota Green BMW Hyundai Nissan Toyota Concept Cars Electric Hydrogen Cars Videos recharge wrapup