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Toyota's 2023 Prius Prime plug-in hybrid gets extended range and a solar roof
Toyota's 2023 Prius Prime has a longer EV range, a solar roof that can recharge the battery and more power than previous models.
Toyota says the 2023 Prius is its most fuel-efficient ever
It comes with a a new lithium-ion battery, which offers a 15 percent increase in output compared to the lineup's old nickel metal battery technology, and a bigger 2-liter gas engine.
Toyota recalls 752,000 Prius cars over flawed hybrid software
Toyota is recalling 752,000 Prius cars due to a glitch in the hybrid software that could lead to an engine stall.
Toyota makes CarPlay and Alexa standard in the 2020 Prius
Toyota has revealed Apple CarPlay will come as standard in all of its 2020 Prius models, along with Alexa and its Safety Connect system. Back in May, Toyota said the plug-in Prius Prime would include CarPlay and Alexa in the 2020 model, but it's expanding availability across the board. Drivers who've been hoping for better connectivity in the Prius will surely welcome CarPlay and Alexa, though it seems Android Auto isn't on the cards just yet.
Toyota's 2020 Prius Prime arrives with CarPlay and Alexa
When Toyota unveiled its revamped Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, we largely liked everything about it -- except for the wonky infotainment system. With the 2020 model, Toyota has corrected that shortcoming, now offering it with both Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa support. They'll come as a standard trim option for all Prius Primes, which start at $27,600, not including the $4,500 federal tax credit.
Ex-Uber engineer claims to travel 3,099 miles in a self-driving car
Remember how controversial former Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski had formed a secretive autonomous trucking startup? He's finally showing off his work... and he might have set a record in the process. Levandowski has launched his self-driving truck startup Pronto.AI by posting a video (below) that appears to show him traveling 3,099 miles from San Francisco to New York City in an AI-augmented Prius "without any human intervention" or pre-mapping, and only a small amount of training. The entrepreneur only had to take over when it was time to refill the car and rest up, according to his interview with The Guardian.
Toyota's 2019 Prius will offer electric all-wheel drive
As efficient as it is, the Prius probably isn't your first pick if you need a car that can navigate a snowy backroad. You might have to rethink your assumptions, though. Toyota is introducing the 2019 Prius with an option for an electric all-wheel drive system (AWD-e in Toyota-speak). Choose the option and you'll get a sedan that can muster a combined 50MPG without losing its footing quite so quickly as front wheel drive cars. The system revolves around an independent electric motor that will always power the rear wheels up to 6MPH, and can continue up to 43MPH when necessary. It doesn't need a center differential or front-to-rear driveshaft, either, and it won't intrude into cargo space.
Toyota recalls 2.4 million hybrids over stalling risk
Toyota is facing a fresh setback after having to deal with a long line of faults relating to its hybrid cars over the past few years. Some Toyota Prius or Auris cars manufactured between 2008 and 2014 could be at risk of stalling when entering a fail-safe driving mode. The Japanese carmaker is now recalling 1.25 million cars in Japan, 830,000 in North America and 290,000 in Europe in order to fix the issue.
Toyota recalls over a million hybrid vehicles due to fire risk
Toyota is recalling more than a million Prius and C-HR hybrids worldwide due to a fire risk. Around 192,000 Prius vehicles in the US and more than 550,000 cars in Japan are involved in the recall, which is related to wiring connected to the power control unit. Insulation may wear down over time, potentially leading to a short circuit that could ultimately cause a fire.
Kroger starts testing self-driving grocery delivery in Arizona
You now have a chance to try Kroger's self-driving grocery delivery... if you happen to live in the right part of Arizona. The chain has launched its driverless delivery pilot at a single Fry's Food Stores location in Scottsdale, giving you a chance to receive foodstuffs courtesy of Nuro's autonomous vehicles. Order through the Fry's website or app and the robotic courier can deliver either the same day or next day for a $6 flat fee. You'll have to live in the same 85257 ZIP code, so you can't make them drive across town just to satisfy your curiosity.
Toyota’s future EV battery tech could enable much longer trips
The switchover to an electric vehicle (EV) future is bound to happen, with increased sales and companies like Volvo committing to hybrid models in the next couple of years. One of the things still holding back widespread adoption of the technology, however, is the low range the current crop of EV batteries represent. We're not going to put all of our hopes into cars that can only travel so far, especially as the infrastructure to recharge such vehicles is thin on the ground. Toyota is looking to change that, however, with a new solid electrolyte battery technology that would make for smaller, lighter lithium-ion batteries, which could then combine into higher-range charges for electric cars. Toyota told The Wall Street Journal that the batteries are in "production engineering" now, and that we might be able to buy cars with the new batteries by the early 2020s.
Toyota put on a race to find the most-efficient drivers
There's an air of excitement in the car as we whip around a corner at Sonoma Raceway, 45 minutes north of San Francisco. The passenger up front is barking stats at the driver while staring at an iPad: "We're at 24 percent, 27 percent, 32 percent, 37 percent! OK, we're at 40 percent. Hold it there." The driver responds in the affirmative and the car continues down the track at a blistering 25 miles per hour. The Prius we're sitting in isn't going to break any speed records. Instead, it's being pushed to the limits of its efficiency.
With the Prius Prime, Toyota delivers nearly the perfect tech car
The Toyota Prius made hybrids mainstream. In cities like San Francisco, you can't swing an artisanally carved reclaimed-wood stick without hitting at least one of these midsize cars rolling down the street. By sheer numbers (nearly four million sold!), it helped usher in the acceptance of internal combustion engine/electric motor combos. But more important, it made the idea of the electric car palatable to a wider audience. Its influence is impossible to overstate. Yet, from day one, I've found it to be an absolutely hideous-looking vehicle.
Toyota's 10 millionth hybrid sale hints at a greener future
Toyota announced that as of January 31, it has sold over 10 million hybrid cars. Business has been strong in recent months, as one million of those sales have come since the end of April 2016.
Toyota's Prius Prime plug-in hybrid starts at $27,100
Toyota's latest take on a plug-in hybrid, the 2017 Prius Prime, may be more of a bargain than its name would suggest. The automaker has revealed that US pricing for the Prime will start at $27,100. That's more than the regular Prius (which begins at $24,685), but it also qualifies for up to $4,500 in federal tax credit -- play your cards right and you could pay less for a vehicle that could also cost you less to run. And did we mention that Toyota has boosted the mileage estimates? You now get 25 miles of pure electric driving instead of the originally promised 22, and the equivalent fuel economy has gone up from 120MPGe to 124.
Take the newest Prius for a virtual spin
Toyota has a new car and a new way to market it. During Techcrunch Disrupt this week, the automaker will show off its new Prius Prime, a plug-in version of its popular hybrid vehicle. But rather than have attendees simply clamber through a static floor model, Toyota wants to take them for a ride -- a virtual one.
Toyota recalls another 1.4 million cars with defective airbags
Airbags have been at the center of the largest auto recall this year. Japanese corporate Takata's faulty airbags have forced major automakers to recall about 60 million cars in the US alone. While the automative industry is still dealing with the extent of the risks associated with Takata's airbags, which have been linked to over a dozen deaths and a hundred injuries, Toyota has now announced a second recall. The Japanese carmaker is recalling 1.43 million cars because of defective inflators and another 2.87 million cars that have fuel emission problems.
Consumer Reports: 2016 Prius is the most fuel-efficient hybrid ever
It's been a few years since land-cruising Cadillac Escalades ruled America's streets. Fuel economy has trumped gas-guzzling style since the Great Recession, and hybrid cars surged in popularity. The first mass-produced model was the Toyota Prius, and this year's version goes farther on a gallon of gas than any vehicle Consumer Reports has ever tested.
Toyota's Prius Prime plug-in hybrid touts 120MPGe
Toyota's Prius line has lost some of its luster in recent years. While it's still synonymous with hybrid cars, its plug-in hybrid model is facing stiff competition that has an edge in terms of pure electric range. The auto giant isn't standing still, though: it's unveiling the Prius Prime as an answer to these pretenders to the throne. The PHEV's electric-only range has only been doubled to a still-modest 22 miles, but it makes up for this with an equivalent efficiency of 120MPGe. If the figure holds up, it makes the Prime the most fuel-efficient plug-in on the market. Toyota chalks it up to the combination of an upgraded hybrid system and a larger battery.
Toyota turned the Prius' parts into anime characters
If you were running a big Japanese car manufacturer, how would you make your technology accessible to the public? Toyota has a rather strange answer: turn it into anime characters. The company has launched an "Impossible Girls" promo campaign for the new Prius where components and features are anthropomorphized as sometimes cute, sometimes mysterious cartoons. Yes, you too can relate to a cyborg representation of your hybrid car's wishbone suspension or water pump.
