Toyota’s Green Problem

Boy everyone missed Toyota's real strategy. Of course they don't want new gas mileage laws because as the competition continues to roll out the guzzlers they continue to roll out the more economic models. If all the manufacturers were forced to produce higher mileage vehicles then Toyota will have greater competition.

you can get 35 mpg but you need to stop putting larger engines the cars when i started buying toyotas (camry) , the 1991 camry i had 4 cylnder got 42 mpg . every year i bought a new toyota they thought they had to increase engine power (so called public demand) i was very happy with my first toyotas preformance and dont need larger engines the speed limit is 55 dont need a 300 horse power engine to drive that speed

You can't move to an alternate fuel source when we are in a stranglehold by a government that is hell-bent on keeping us on gas until their buddies squeeze every drop of profit out of it. Look back at the copper debacle when others were moving to fiber in the phone industry. Status quo.

You can't move to an alternate fuel source when we are in a stranglehold by a government that is hell-bent on keeping us on gas until their buddies squeeze every drop of profit out of it. Look back at the copper debacle when others were moving to fiber in the phone industry. Status quo.

When will the environmentalist realize the majority of people DON'T want tiny, uncomfortable, and ugly transportation modes? Americans drive what the want, not what they need - it is not the destination, but how you get there - always has been with Amercians, always will be - Gas prices today are at the current price levels because of a surge in investing, both corporate and private, not because of insufficient quantities available. Also, if you believe what comes from CNN, AP, Nat'l Geo, the various news rags (including this one), and even Al Gore is true fact, then you are indeed lost - Spend a few minutes at http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/news.php and enjoy the ride...

maybe instead of increasing gas mileage by 2020 how about an alternate fuel source so that we are not so oil dependant.

When the cars from USA all get 35 miles a gallon, how many of you want to buy a Toyota?!

It's all about choice. More consumers will drive hybrids when gas goes to $4 or $5 a gallon. We choose to drive a Prius because my wife and I carpool 3 days a week and it saves $$$. Yes, the carmakers and oil companies have supressed miser technologies for years. Profit is not always the best motivator.

It's all about choice. I choose to drive a Prius, and I get 50 MPG because of how I choose to drive carpooling with my wife 3 days a week. When gas goes to $5 a gallon, more consumers will want hybrids.

Why should this surprise anyone after what Toyota did with the electric RAV4?
The what you say?
Toyota made an electric SUV in the late 90's up until 2003 as part of a California mandate - the same mandate that 'forced' GM into making the EV1. Well not only did Toyota build a great SUV with all of the creature comforts including heated seats that did not burn a drop of gas, but they are now going for $50,000 or more these days when they go up for sale on eBay. Once the CA mandate was changed, production on all of the electric vehicles stopped, and most of them - including Toyota - quietly began collecting the cars and destroying them. To Toyota's credit they actually sold a few hundred of the RAV4's, and today most are still running on their original set of batteries - that currently cannot be replaced due to Chevron squatting on the patent they bought from GM after they killed their EV1, but that is another story - getting upwards of 100+ per charge. Also in the works was a small add on gas engine that would allow the car to travel just like a regular car for long trips past the range of the batteries. (Essentially the same principle behind the Chevy Volt) If Toyota was truly green they would still offer the electric RAV4 as the demand is there and what a concept that a normally gas hungry SUV could run without it for probably 90% of the time. Instead of costing upwards of $50 to fill the tank, it would cost as little as $20 a month to charge at home, or even cost nothing if the home is equipped with solar panels, somthing a number of RAV4 owners in California have.

First, the truth is the oil is not that expensive when compared what many other industrialized nations and is a low percentage of many Americans total income. Second, Toyota is attempting to immediately compete with domestic automakers. This means that producing trucks and SUVs using moderate levels of technology is good for the bottom line. Toyota has recently face decreasing reliability and resale values on its newer model cars, probably because of poor executive management in North America. However, Toyota is probably waiting for oil prices to become prohibitively high and then flood the market with improved existing technologies (turbochargers, valveless engines). Until domestic automakers innovate Toyota is holding back new designs for the purpose of gaining huge market growth when oil prices become unbearable. To Rick727 new cars are made with more airbags and less metal because test show that internal injuries cause most of the deaths in high speed collisions. In the past heavy steel cased cars were excellent and preventing car damage but the occupant died of organs ripping internally. New cars have crumple zones and steel beam specifically designed to increase survivability. Car frames are stronger and have more flexible alloy that promote absorbing and releasing energy. The car is totaled but the people survive. Larger vehicles brake slower, accelerate slower, have difficulty avoiding accidents, roll over, and lose control easier than cars so mortality between cars and larger vehicles has become in modern automobile. Read this and write your congressman, he will listen if you contribute to his campaign, make them accountabile http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6174130.html

As far as the record shows, the US car designers and manufacturers have not taken any serious consideration into using less gasoline in engines. The US has been gulping gasoline all these years. Why are these people becoming paranoid about being 'green' after all the destructions due to the CO2 emission since the Industrial Revolution!So why make a fuss now? It is to late! Go and plant more trees, convert the deserts. Do not spend your money on war!

Toyota is one of the biggest car maker, what we don't understand how american car maker sleeping very long time despite they have challenge from asian and european car maker. american car maker not aware in their domestic market share grabbed by them. The american car seem very bad on design and poor on handling. Ford is one of the american car maker never aware how bad their car is.

Toyota sells us what we want. We want what we think will cure the anxiety we're told to feel by advertisers. Who work for Toyota. But you already knew that, and fall for the ads anyway. Evolution in action. sorry.

Yes Virginia, it was too good to be true. Toyota cares much more for their bottom line than they do about their children's healthy and safety. They afterall are just another Detroit Automaker....couldn;t care less if we choke on their exhaust.