2011 Toyota Rav4 Ltd on 2040-cars

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5,000 Toyota Prius V models recalled due to airbag issue

Toyota has issued a recall of roughly 5,000 Prius V hybrids. All of the affected vehicles are from model years 2014 and 2015. The problem with the hybrid MPVs centers on its Occupant Classification System. According to the company, the OCS is responsible for activating and deactivating the passenger's side airbag, and in the affected models, the system may not have been calibrated correctly. Should a crash occur, the passenger front airbag may not deploy. The company reports there have been no injuries or fatalities related to the OCS faulty calibration. Owner will be notified and will, naturally, be asked to report in for a free recalibration. TOYOTA RECALLS CERTAIN 2014-2015 MODEL YEAR PRIUS V VEHICLES TORRANCE, Calif. – Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., today announced plans to conduct a safety recall of approximately 5,000 Model Year 2014-2015 Prius V vehicles. In the involved vehicles, the front passenger seat is equipped with an Occupant Classification System (OCS), which activates / deactivates the passenger seat air bag system depending on the weight of the seat occupant. There is a possibility that some OCS's may not have been calibrated properly during the vehicle manufacturing process. Under some conditions, this could result in no deployment of an airbag, increasing the risk of an injury to a front seat passenger in the event of crash. Toyota is not aware of any injuries or fatalities caused by this condition. Owners of the involved vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail. Toyota dealers will recalibrate the Occupant Classification System properly. Detailed information is available at www.toyota.com/recall and by calling Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331. ###

CARB uses tricked-out RAV4 EV to measure air pollution in California

The old-school Toyota RAV4 EV you see above is the California Air Resources Board's version of a non-participant observer. The all-electric vehicle cruises around the state measuring airborne pollution. Since it's powered by batteries, there are no tailpipe emissions created as CARB tries to get a handle on how dirty the roadway air is. The problem, CARB says, is that it is difficult to measure air pollution levels, "during calm conditions at night and in the early morning." There are over 250 stationary air monitoring sites in California today, but the Board wanted a way to expand where and when it can test for things like ultrafine particles, carbon dioxide and nox. The original plan for the Mobile Monitoring Platform – as the RAV4 EV is officially called – was to "Investigate Spatial, Diurnal and Seasonal Pollution Gradients" on California's highways and ports. The RAV4 EV was originally expected to cost $280,000 (see pages 11-12 in this PDF from 2009), but a new report in the Modesto Bee says it had a total of $300,000 just in monitoring equipment. Michael Benjamin, CARB's chief of air monitoring, told the Bee that the MMP, "paints a thorough picture about what air quality is in any given community." More importantly, the stationary and mobile testing equipment can tell CARB when and where the air is getting cleaner. Which is the whole point, after all.

Toyota reveals new TS040 Hybrid LMP1 [w/videos, poll]

There's a new season of motor racing upon us, and while that doesn't always mean a new crop of cars in every series, in the case of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship, that's exactly what it means. Porsche recently revealed its new 919 Hybrid and Audi its revised R18 E-Tron Quattro. Now it's Toyota's turn.
Revealed today at the Paul Ricard test track in the South of France, the new TS040 Hybrid is based on the TS030 Hybrid it replaces, redesigned to meet the latest regulations established by the FIA and ACO for the World Endurance Championship and its flagship race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In accordance with said regulations, the TS040 is two inches narrower than the TS030 and also incorporates a new hybrid powertrain.
The previous 3.4-liter V8 has been replaced by a 3.7-liter V8 developing 513 horsepower, and the new engine is coupled to an Aisin AW electric motor at the front, a Denso electric motor at the rear and a Nisshinbo super-capacitor that combine to kick out an extra 473 hp, giving the system a combined output of nearly 1,000 horsepower while consuming 25 percent less fuel than last year's car. It also gives the TS040 all-wheel drive to help channel all that power to the road.