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Stellantis and Toyota expand partnership with large commercial van

Stellantis said on Monday it would expand its partnership with Toyota Motor Europe (TME) with a new large commercial van, including an electric version. Stellantis will supply TME, a unit of Japan's Toyota Motor Corp, with the new vehicle for sale in Europe under the Toyota brand, it said. The van will be produced at Stellantis plants in Gliwice, Poland, and Atessa, Italy. "Planned for mid-2024, the new large-size commercial van marks TME's first entry into the large-size commercial vehicle segment," Stellantis added in a statement. The deal widens the partnership between the two companies and allows a better optimization of Stellantis' Atessa plant, which currently makes large vans sold under the Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat marques. "It represents an important addition and completes our light commercial line-up for Toyota's European customers," Stellantis said. Paris-listed shares in Stellantis were up 1.6% by 0941 GMT. Carmakers have increasingly been agreeing cross-manufacturing deals to reduce costs in vans, which due to a boom in parcel delivery are seeing large demand — and where electric vehicle versions are also seeing rising sales to carry out "last-mile" deliveries in city centers. Green Fiat Toyota Citroen Peugeot Minivan/Van Commercial Vehicles Electric

NHTSA may investigate new Toyota unintended acceleration case

After paying a $1.2-billion settlement to the US government last year, Toyota largely put the unintended acceleration recall behind it. Although, there were still some civil lawsuits to handle. A new case where the owner of a 2009 Lexus ES350 is petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open another analysis could draw the issue back to the forefront. Investigators are still deciding whether to research these claims further, though. According to this petition, the owner's wife was driving the ES350 in February 2015. While pulling into a parking space, the sedan allegedly surged forward, and there was a low-speed accident. The claim asserts there are at least two other similar cases in NHTSA's database: one in a 2009 Camry in 2009 and another in a 2010 Corolla in 2014. Specifically, this person wants an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed," according to the agency. NHTSA will do further research into this person's claim and will decide whether to conduct a full investigation into the alleged issue. This won't be the first reappraisal of unintended acceleration in Toyotas by the agency in recent months, though. Between September 2014 and May 2015, NHTSA evaluated a similar petition with allegations covering 2006-2010 Corollas, and the government body decided to deny that one because the problem couldn't be replicated. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Low-speed surging Date Investigation Opened: JUL 09, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: DP15005 Component(s): VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) LEXUS ES350 2009 Details Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation SUMMARY: In a letter dated June 19, 2015, a consumer petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed." The petition was prompted by a February 2015 crash involving a model year (MY) 2009 Lexus ES350, which allegedly surged as the petitioner's wife was pulling into a parking spot.

What's in a trademark? Sometimes, the next iconic car name

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a treasure trove for auto enthusiasts, especially those who double as conspiracy theorists.
Why has Toyota applied to trademark "Supra," the name of one of its legendary sports cars, even though it hasn't sold one in the United States in 16 years? Why would General Motors continue to register "Chevelle" long after one of the most famous American muscle cars hit the end of the road? And what could Chrysler possibly do with the rights to "313," the area code for Detroit?