Toyota Presents at the Tokyo Auto Show

Toyota will be bringing along two concept vehicles of interest to the Tokyo Auto Show. The first, we've seen before is the Prius plug-in hybrid, which may be arriving in the US by 2012.  The second is a compact EV designed for urban driving over short distances, the FT-EV II.

Plug-in Prius Concept
The plug-in Prius concept to be on display in Tokyo is based on the third-generation Prius. It can be plugged in and recharged in about 180 minutes at 100V and 100 minutes at 200V.

The plug-in Prius aimed to have 55 km/l or better, CO2 emissions of 42g/km or less and an EV cruising range of 20 km or more on a fully charged battery. The battery is a lithium-ion battery pack, unlike the third generation Prius which uses nickel metal hydride still.

Specs:
Length: 4,460 m
Width: 1,745 mm
Height: 1,490 mm
Wheelbase: 2,700 mm
Seating: 5

FT-EV II

The other concept is the world premier of the Future Toyota Electric Vehicle II (FT-EV II). It's a compact EV designed for short distances. 'It is based on the idea of a future mobility society in which EVs are common, and means of transport are divided according to purpose, the characteristics of the energy to be used and the status of the supply infrastructure.'

Features include:

• Ultra-efficient package with body more compact than ultra-compact "iQ", but still with seating for four
• Drive-by-wire technology enables joystick operation of all functions including accelerator, brakes and steering wheel; ample legroom provided by elimination of accelerator and brake pedals
• Vehicle designed with low front cowl and auxiliary window below windshield for outstanding forward visibility; further consideration paid to safety around vehicle led to see-through LED rear combination taillights
• Electric sliding doors on both sides facilitate ingress and egress, particularly in narrow spaces
• Top-speed of over 100km/h
• Easy coverage of over 90km on fully charged battery—ample for everyday use
• Extremely quiet and comfortable ride with smooth acceleration, thanks to TMC-cultivated motor-control technology, which is part of the hybrid system at core of TMC's environmental technologies

Specs:
Length: 2,730 m
Width: 1,680 mm
Height: 1,490 mm
Wheelbase: 1,900 mm
Seating: 4

Toyota Building the Corolla in Mississippi, not the Prius

Toyota has restarted their plant construction in Blue Springs, Mississippi, in another indication the recent recall hasn't ruined their business. If they're willing to expand production, they must be planning on selling those extra cars.

Which is good news for the 2,000 people Toyota plans on hiring in Mississippi. But, unfortunately for those of us who are interested in hybrids, Toyota will be building the Corolla instead of the Prius.

As of now, every Prius sold in the states is built in Japan. Which means the sales rush there (the Prius is the no 1 selling car in Japan for 12 months and counting) is affecting the number of Prius they can sell, or export here. That keeps the supply and demand pretty tight here in the states.

So even with all the bad news surrounding Toyota if you're buying a Prius don't expect a deal to suddenly be offered.

Toyota says the decision to start building the Corolla in Mississippi allows them to open the plant sooner, rather than waiting for the demand to pick up on the Prius. The building itself is 'essentially complete' with just the installation of equipment to finish it off.

2010 HS 250h Safety Recall

The 2010 Lexus 250h is under recall for the possibility of excess fuel leak in an accident.

During a crash test, when the vehicle was rotated on its longitudinal axis to each successive increment of 90 degrees, fuel spillage exceeded a set amount limit. Since fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire, the HS has been recalled.

Toyota has not provided a remedy for this campaign or has not determined when the safety recall is expected to begin. owners may contact lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Or owners can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.