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Toyota i-ROAD goes to carsharing service Park24 in Tokyo

Drivers in Tokyo citizens can now soon a handle on what "active leaning" is all about. That's because a small number of Toyota's funky, three-wheeled i-Road electric vehicle will soon be available for a car-sharing program throughout the Japanese capital city. Let the party begin. Toyota is collaborating with parking-lot operator Park24 Co. on the car-sharing program. The automaker will contribute five i-Road vehicles to the project, which will start April 10 and run until the end of September. Users will be able to pick up the trikes at the Times Station at Yurakucho ITOCiA and will be able to drop them off at five locations throughout the city. Toyota will charge 412 yen (about $3.50) per every 15 minutes and will impose a maximum checkout time of two and a half hours. We first became aware of the i-Road when Toyota posted a groovy video of the vehicles sashaying through town a couple of years back. The car, which has so-called "active leaning" technology, is less than eight feet long and less than three feet wide, and has a top speed of 28 miles per hour. Check out Toyota's press release below and get more details here. Park24 and Toyota to Trial i-ROAD Sharing Service in Central Tokyo February 24, 2015 Tokyo, Feb. 25, 2015 -- Starting in April, Park24 Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation will trial a car sharing service in central Tokyo using the Toyota i-ROAD, an ultra-compact three-wheeled electric vehicle. The i-ROAD, designed for flexibility and ease of use, will be paired with Park24's "Times Car Plus" service, which allows members to use share cars at any time of day or night. The trial will also incorporate elements from Toyota's "Ha:mo" optimized urban transport system. The trial will run from April 10 to the end of September. Usage data and user feedback will be gathered with the goal of assessing ease of use. The trial will also be used to assess changes in user activity patterns and receptiveness to new mobility systems of this type. For more information about the program, go to: http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/6168109/ Related Video:

2014 Toyota Corolla shows its new Euro-spec nose [w/poll]

After tons of teasing, Toyota finally unveiled the all-new 2014 Corolla in the wee hours of the - at least to those of us here in the Midwest. The fresh new face of the US-spec car takes a number of cues from the Camry and Avalon sedans, and in S trim with the large alloy wheels and blacked-out front fascia, we'd even venture this is the most boldly styled North American Corolla to date (faint praise as that may be).
Of course, our friends in other markets will also be getting fully updated versions of the Corolla as well, and here, we're getting our first glimpse at the European-spec car, complete with a very different front fascia that, at least in this trim, seems to take a more conservative design approach. A quick poll of the Autoblog staff shows that we're torn as to whether or not we prefer this European look to our North American-specific car, but at least in the sporty-ish S trim, we think the Americans may have got the better end of the deal.
The Euro-spec Corolla actually shares a lot of its design with its larger platform-mate, the Auris, a car that we don't - and likely won't - get in the States. Inside, the European Corolla looks basically the same as the NA car, and while market-specific engines and specifications haven't been released yet, it's expected that the Corolla will share much of its dirty bits with the European Auris, as well.

Audi, Toyota land on MIT's list of 50 Most Disruptive Companies

MIT Technology Review, a magazine all about innovation, has announced its list of the 50 most disruptive companies in 2013, and both Audi and Toyota made the cut. While the term "most disruptive" may carry a negative connotation in most uses (especially in the classroom), the acknowledgement in this case is an accolade, signifying that the company is at the forefront of its industry. In a nutshell, a disruptive company is a business whose innovations force other businesses to alter their strategic direction.
Audi made the list for "pushing autonomous cars closer to fruition with a laser-scanning road detector that fits in a vehicle's front grille," and Toyota for "expanding its dominance of the hybrid-car market with its new plug-in version of the Prius." Click on the image above to be taken to the original graphic at MIT Technology Review, where clickable colored squares reveal information about each of the 50 winners, compiled from a variety of industries.