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Toyota announces production increase for Mirai fuel cell vehicle

Toyota is building them. People are coming. So Toyota's going to build some more. Cue the strings. The Japanese automaker apparently got more than it bargained for after starting sales of its first mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle last month. On Thursday, Toyota announced plans to ramp up production starting next year. Toyota will build 700 Mirai units this year, and will then bump that to 2,000 vehicles next year and 3,000 in 2017. The previous production plan had the same numbers, except for what would happen in 2017. The increase is coming because Toyota's already received pre-orders for 1,500 Mirai vehicles. With US and European sales slated to start later this year, Toyota didn't want to leave itself short-stocked. Toyota confirmed what was already being surmised last month by the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, which said that Toyota was ready to spend almost $170 million boosting production capacity of the Mirai. Most of this year's sales will be in Japan, with the US and Europe gradually accounting for a larger chunk starting next year. In November, the automaker disclosed details of the Mirai's initial US sales, saying that the model will be available in California this year for either a base price of $57,500 or a lease price of $499 a month for 36 months (with $3,649 due at signing). And if that sounds steep, remember that the hydrogen refueling, wherever it can be found, is free for as long as three years. Check out Toyota's press release on the bumps in production below. Toyota to Increase 'Mirai' Production Toyota City, Japan, January 22, 2015-Toyota Motor Corporation today announced that it will increase production of the "Mirai" fuel cell sedan, which launched in Japan on December 15, 2014. The new plan calls for production to increase from the 2015 level of 700 units to approximately 2,000 units in 2016 and approximately 3,000 units in 2017. Considering the approximately 1,500 orders received in the first month of sales in Japan, and the upcoming launches in Europe and the United States later this year, it was decided that the supply structure should be adjusted to reflect the level of demand for the vehicle. Sales plans for Japan, the U.S. and Europe following the production increases will be formulated taking into consideration each region's level of hydrogen infrastructure development, energy policies, car-purchasing subsidies, consumer demand, environmental regulations, and other factors.

2014 Toyota Corolla priced from $16,800*

We'll be publishing our First Drive of the 2014 Toyota Corolla later today, but right now, we can reveal that the eleventh-generation compact will be priced from $16,800 when it hits dealerships this fall (*not including a $810 destination charge).
Four trim levels will be offered, and that sub-$17,000 price point reflects the base L grade with a six-speed manual transmission. Adding the four-speed automatic (yep) brings that price up to $17,400, which gets you the usual features standard on this class of car, including Bluetooth connectivity, eight airbags and - a first for this price point - LED headlamps.
From there, the LE trim ($18,300) adds a backup camera, cruise control, keyless entry, Entune audio (including a 6.1-inch touchscreen) and a brand-new continuously variable transmission replacing the four-speed auto. There's even an Eco version of the LE trim that uses a different engine tune to provide fuel economy of up to 42 miles per gallon on the highway.

Toyota will steer clear of driverless cars

Toyota executives say the company's primary focus is on safety. At least for the time being, that means the company won't pursue development of a driverless car.
Speaking at the company's advanced safety seminar in Ypsilanti, MI, Thursday morning, Seigo Kuzumaki, Toyota's deputy chief safety technology officer, said that Toyota envisions a future driving environment that optimizes the best of both humans and computers, not choosing one over the other.
"Toyota's main objective is safety, so it will not be developing a driverless car." - Seigo Kuzumaki