Archive for the ‘Toyota Hybrid’ Category

The Toyota Ideas For Good campaign has attracted thousands of entries, and now comes the hard part. A panel of independent judges will narrow down the submissions to 25 finalists, and all indications suggest they have their work cut out for them.

Toyota asked contestants to submit ideas for how they would use Prius technology to make a better world. Members of the public are encouraged by the advertising campaign to find new, non-automotive applications for five distinct Toyota technologies to ultimately benefit society. One winner in each of the five technology categories will witness their idea spring into reality. Winners will be determined by a formula based on input from the Toyota panel of gurus and the general public. Additionally, winners will receive their pick of a new Prius, Venza or Highlander Hybrid as a prize.

Check out one of the latest videos where engineers from Deeplocal build a solar-powered relief tent!

Looking for your own innovative Toyota vehicle? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!

While most of the cars that debuted at the recent Geneva Auto Show were diminutive in size in accordance with European tastes, Toyota offered innovation in a family-friendly size. As Motor Trend reports, the Prius+ is modeled after the American Prius V, which boasts nearly 50 percent more cargo room than the original Prius sedan.

One of the main differences in the Prius+ is the third row of seating that brings the passenger capacity to 7, surpassing that of the Prius V.  When not in use, the 50/50 split bench can be folded flat for additional load space. This is also the first Toyota vehicle in production to receive the new lithium-ion battery. The new battery’s smaller size allowed engineers to  place it beneath the center console- a move that could free up additional interior space.

The Toyota Prius+ just may ‘mind the gap’ between fuel-efficient innovation and family-friendly size in Europe.

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!

It’s official! The plural form of Prius is Prii (pronounced PREE-eye). After asking the public to vote on the plural possibilities through a marketing campaign, Toyota received thousands of votes from across the country.  The campaign featured the famous (and famously spoofed) John Lipton as he used his signature style to interview guests ranging from William Shakespeare to a child spelling bee champ. “Prii” received 25% of votes, while the “Prius” came in a close second with 24%.

Here’s the official announcement:







Check out our selection of Prii and other innovative Toyota cars, trucks and SUVs on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com with a full list of new and used vehicles!

Toyota is continuing with their community-centered campaign to find the official plural for Prius with a new spot featuring  James Lipton and, none other than, William Shakespeare. Lipton’s passionate and wordy interviewing style has been spoofed in plenty of sketch comedy, probably most famously by Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live. Here you can see the real man in action as he interviews the wordsmith from the days of yore (or a man pretending to be). There’s still time to vote! The winning word will be announced on Feb. 20th.

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!

While the new Prius Plug-in hybrid electric car won’t be available to consumers until 2012, some Zipcar users will get the chance to drive one in advance. Daily Finance reports that Zipcar has added eight of the new vehicles to its fleet.

Zipcar is a popular car-sharing network that can provide a testing ground for newly developed electric cars.

Zipcar is offering the hybrid electric vehicles in San Francisco, Portland and the Boston area. They’re among 160 of the new plug-in hybrids that Toyota has made available for field trials in the country.

The plug-in model comes with a larger lithium-ion battery that’s charged from an electrical outlet. A larger battery will enable the car to go farther using a “fuel” with lower carbon emissions than gasoline. A growing number of automakers have launched or plan to bring to market plug-in hybrids or all-electric cars. We’re excited to see this one around town!

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!