Toyota Weighs Spinning Off Prius Brand

Not dirty, sexy, or violent, brand is 'a minor miracle'

(NEWSER) - Nissan already had its work cut out in designing a hybrid—whatever it made had to measure up to Toyota’s hugely successful Prius. Then it needed a name, which came at the end of a process blending business, culture, and the law. Possibilities must be cleared in hundreds of countries, not only for copyright restrictions but for potential unintended hilarity: see Mazda’s “Bongo Friendee” van and Daihatsu’s “Naked” minicar. The result is the green-sounding Leaf. More»

(NEWSER) - Toyota plans to keep its lead in the environmentally friendly vehicle market with a new car to be released in 2011, Bloomberg reports. The vehicle, to be based on the company's Vitz compact, will be around 5% more fuel-efficient than its Prius and will sell for around $15,600, according to reports in Japanese media. The company plans to market the car in Japan, the US, and Europe. More»

As hybrid market goes mainstream, so does iconic car

(AP) - Toyota's sleeker, more fuel-efficient update to its iconic Prius, already the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the market, offers a city-highway average of 50mpg—up from 46—and a bunch of new amenities. Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the 2010 model comes with a more powerful engine, a moonroof, and a solar-powered ventilation system that can be remotely operated, so the car can be cooled while it's parked, and drivers can adjust the interior temperature before getting in. More»

Except for a few models, hybrids and electric cars take years to pay off

(NEWSER) - Thinking of buying a hybrid or electric vehicle to ease the pain at the pump? You may want to think again: A TrueCar.com study commissioned by the New York Times shows that, except in three cases, fuel-efficient technology is so expensive that these types of cars take years to pay off at today's gas prices—and that remains true even if gas were to hit $5 per gallon. In some cases, the average driver would take more than a decade to see savings over comparable conventional vehicles, which is a problem since the average person owns a car just six years. Most fuel-efficient cars will be more expensive to purchase and to drive for five years, at minimum. More»

Braking issues force recall of nearly 500K hybrids

(NEWSER) - Toyota president Akio Toyoda apologized to customers as he confirmed the widely expected worldwide recall of 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles today. "We sincerely acknowledge safety concerns from our customers," he said at a press conference in Tokyo. "We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority." More»