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Toyota's 'Fueled by Oil Creek' gases up hydrogen's history

Hey, Toyota. We got a question for you. If you're using a small Pennsylvania town to highlight the technological and ecological advances of the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle, why are those vehicles going to be sold only in California this fall? The Japanese automaker has released an online documentary video (the second in a series) showing what advantages hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles have over gas-powered vehicles, and uses Titusville, PA, as a backdrop. Some students from that town, which was an oil boomtown in the 19th century, take water from that town's Oil Creek (ah, symbolic), uses electrolysis to split that water into hydrogen and oxygen gases, then shows how the resulting hydrogen can power a Toyota Mirai for as far as 300 miles. Fueled by Oil Creek runs about five minutes. Toyota debuted sales of the Mirai last year in Japan and will start selling the car in California in October. The model will be priced at $57,500 and will be offered with a three-year lease option of $499 a month (with $3,649 due at signing). Toyota also said earlier this year that it would spend about $170 million upping production capacity for the Mirai. Take a look at Toyota's press below and watch the video above. Petroleum Past Helps Fuel Hydrogen Future Water from Pennsylvania's Oil Creek Becomes Hydrogen Fuel for Mirai Second Video in Toyota's "Fueled by Everything" Series June 03, 2015 TORRANCE, Calif. (June 3, 2015) – A creek, a little high school chemistry, and a former oil boom town open to a hydrogen-fueled future. This is the story of "Fueled by Oil Creek," the second online video in Toyota's multi-part "Fueled by Everything" series aimed at highlighting renewable sources of hydrogen fuel, leading up to launch of the 2016 Toyota Mirai. Directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsay, the 5-minute video takes viewers to Titusville, Pennsylvania where, in 1859, an oil well changed the American energy landscape. Flash forward to 2015. Local high school students in the film collect water from the aptly named Oil Creek for a lesson in electrolysis, separating water into oxygen and hydrogen gas using an electric current. The resulting hydrogen gas powers the hydrogen fuel cell electric Toyota Mirai to travel up to 300 miles on a full tank. The only tailpipe emission is water, just like the fuel source.

Airbag recall widens to include BMW, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota

The recall of faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata has exploded today to grow to seven automakers. In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in its investigation that moisture played a roll in determining whether there would be a problem. However, some companies opted for national campaigns. The exact number of affected models for these campaigns isn't yet known at this time.
BMW is recalling an undisclosed number of 325i, 325Xi, 330i and 330Xi models from the 2001 through 2005 model years and the 2001-2006 model year versions of the 325Ci and 330Ci for the driver side and passenger side inflators. Only vehicles currently registered in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands are covered under this recall.
Neither Chrysler's filing with NHTSA nor its press release list the specific models affected, but a company spokesperson told Autoblog that at this time it only covers the driver and passenger side inflators for the 2006 Dodge Charger in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands

2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Toyota offers many flavors of its refreshed 2015 Camry, but those who choose to lower their operating cost-per-mile, squeeze 500-plus miles out of each tank of fuel or run a very efficient and reliable sedan in their taxi fleets will only be interested in one: the Camry Hybrid.
The exterior of the 2015 Camry Hybrid is nearly indistinguishable from its gasoline-only counterparts, with the same all-new sheetmetal and bumpers. The Hybrid is offered in LE, SE and XLE trims, meaning customers are offered base, sport or luxury configurations, respectively.
While Toyota expended quite a bit of effort resculpting and improving the 2015 Camry Hybrid, one area it didn't touch was the powertrain - it is virtually identical to last year's model (just like the gas version). Under the hood is a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine (156 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque) and an electric tractive motor (141 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque). Combined, and running through Toyota's unique Hybrid Synergy Drive electronic continuously variable transmission, the two produce 200 horsepower (Toyota does not list a combined torque figure, and we've asked for clarification). A 1.6 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal-hydride battery, packaged behind the rear seats, provides energy storage.