PriusChat Forums - Other Cars http://priuschat.com/forums Come chat about any car other than the Prius here - Hybrids especially! en Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:07:57 GMT vBulletin 60 http://priuschat.com/forums/images/silk/misc/rss.jpg PriusChat Forums - Other Cars http://priuschat.com/forums 2011 Nissan Quest teaser pictures - ENG OFF indicator in dash http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82415&goto=newpost Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:34:48 GMT Nissan releases more 2011 Quest minivan teasers — Autoblog

I'm not sure I like the styling of this minivan that much but at least it's different. Of particular interest is that pic of the gauges shows an "ENG OFF" indicator. Is that an indication of a ICE start/stop system?

Hopefully the quality and reliability are better than the disaster for the first few years of the Canton, MS produced Quest. Brand new plant w/new workers and a brand new design wasn't a recipe for success, esp. since Ghosn is known for cost cutting... ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82415 Nissan takes lead with Thai-made March in Japan http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82413&goto=newpost Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:39:01 GMT Nissan takes lead with Thai-made March in Japan - Yahoo! Finance... Nissan takes lead with Thai-made March in Japan - Yahoo! Finance

Quote:
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- Nissan took the wraps off its new March subcompact Tuesday, which is being manufactured in Thailand for sale in Japan, underlining a trend for Japanese automakers to shift more production abroad...
I wonder if we'll be getting Japanese cars in the US coming from countries other than the US, Mexico, Canada and Japan, esp. from Nissan. I can't think of any right now...

FWIW, I did take a tour of the Oppama plant mentioned when it was producing the Cube, Cube Cubic and March. ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82413 Ford Fiesta http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82319&goto=newpost Sat, 10 Jul 2010 05:24:51 GMT What ever became of the 2011 Fiesta? Wasn't it supposed to roll out in April? ]]> Other Cars Voltan http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82319 <![CDATA[Autoblog: Deep-Dive: Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center, Part 1]]> http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82301&goto=newpost Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:58:52 GMT Deep-Dive: Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center, Part 1 &mdash; Autoblog

Quote:
In an effort to show transparency and a concerted effort to improve its quality and safety, for the first time in its history, Toyota has invited a small group of journalists and analysts into its research and safety facilities in Toyota City, Japan. As part of that select group of media, in the coming days, we'll have a chance to peek behind the curtain, look at how its products are developed and tested and talk to Toyota executives, including CEO Akio Toyoda as we try to fully understand not only how things went so horribly wrong, but how the automaker plans to get back on track...
Lots of pics! I haven't had a chance to do more than skim this as it's late for me now. ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82301 Is this the ultimate carbon neutral car? http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82085&goto=newpost Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:21:14 GMT As the title states, is this the ultimate carbon neutral car or just a left over from mad max? Low-tech Magazine: Wood gas vehicles: firewood in... As the title states, is this the ultimate carbon neutral car or just a left over from mad max?

Low-tech Magazine: Wood gas vehicles: firewood in the fuel tank


One wonders what the emissions are like though? ]]> Other Cars GrumpyCabbie http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82085 GM lent me a Fuel Cell Chevrolet http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81962&goto=newpost Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:54:53 GMT Hi all, New member here. General Motors has just lent me one of their Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles as part of the project driveway program. I... Hi all,

New member here.

General Motors has just lent me one of their Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles as part of the project driveway program. I thought this forum may have an interest in hearing about my experiences with it.

So far, it's pretty neat. It's not as silent as a Volt or a Prius (when on battery alone) since there are hydrogen injectors and cooling systems all over the place, but it's still quieter than an ICE vehicle.

So far, it's averaging the equivalent of 54mpg (not bad for an SUV!) and the performance is remarkable.

This next month is going to be a blast! ]]> Other Cars FuelCell http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81962 Toyota president apologizes to shareholders for global recalls http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81796&goto=newpost Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:54 GMT (Title of post is right now on the front page of Yahoo verbatim.) Toyota president apologizes to shareholders - Yahoo! News... (Title of post is right now on the front page of Yahoo verbatim.)

Toyota president apologizes to shareholders - Yahoo! News
Quote:
TOYOTA, Japan � Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda bowed deeply and apologized to shareholders Thursday for the troubles caused by massive global recalls of the company's vehicles...
Of particular note:
Quote:
Toyota Executive Vice President Satoshi Ozawa said recall-related costs for the fiscal year ended March totaled 380 billion yen ($4 billion).
]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81796 Cars.com American Made Index ranks Toyota Camry #1 again http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81795&goto=newpost Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:52:16 GMT Cars.com American Made Index ranks Toyota Camry #1 again &mdash; Autoblog

Quote:
It's that time once again for Cars.com to release its annual American Made Index. What constitutes an American-made car, however, is just as debatable now as it ever has been. That being the case, there are a number of notable changes since the last time the crew released its list.

First and foremost, the Toyota Camry is (somewhat ironically) still at the top of the American Made Index....
]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81795 <![CDATA[Toyota's chief test driver (Naruse) dies behind wheel of LFA in Germany]]> http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81794&goto=newpost Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:50:13 GMT BREAKING: Toyota's chief test driver dies behind wheel of LFA in Germany &mdash; Autoblog
Toyota's Chief Test Driver Hiromu Naruse Killed in Car Accident in Germany - Bloomberg

Quote:
Toyota Motor Corp.�s chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse, was killed in a car accident yesterday in Germany, the world�s largest automaker said.
Very sad! RIP. :( At least he died doing what he loved.

More on him at Seat Time with Hiromu Naruse &mdash; Autoblog. ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81794 Worker runs over people at Mazda plant, 1 dead http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81717&goto=newpost Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:19:08 GMT Worker runs over people at Japanese plant, 1 dead - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100622/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_mazda) ---Quote---... Worker runs over people at Japanese plant, 1 dead - Yahoo! News

Quote:
TOKYO � A disgruntled worker slammed his car into employees at a Mazda factory Tuesday, killing one and injuring 10, stunning Japan just two years after an autoworker went on a deadly rampage in central Tokyo...
:( ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81717 Poll: 73% of Americans believe that reducing dependency on fossil fuels is important http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81713&goto=newpost Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:44:21 GMT Not surprising but somewhat similar to... Not surprising but somewhat similar to http://priuschat.com/forums/other-ca...oll-finds.html...

Poll: 73% of Americans believe that reducing dependency on fossil fuels is important &mdash; Autoblog Green
Quote:
73 percent of adults believe it's at least somewhat important for the country to change its dependency on fossil fuels. 42 percent say it's very important.
Polls like this are always funny... Let's see how much Americans actually act or whether they'll continue w/their status quo buying of land barges when gas is "cheap" and still buying way too many when it's expensive... ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81713 New UAW president urges picketing Toyota dealers http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81660&goto=newpost Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:58:12 GMT New UAW president urges picketing Toyota dealers &mdash; Autoblog :rolleyes:
Quote:
No, as a matter of fact, we didn't think Bob King's newly minted tenure as UAW president would begin like this. King was elected just last week, and he's already called for the membership's first major action: picket their neighborhood Toyota dealers. Why? To put pressure on Toyota to let its U.S. factory employees unionize, especially after the messy closure of the NUMMI facility� and while the UAW is at it, Volkswagen, Honda, Hyundai and Kia factory employees need to unionize as well...
]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81660 Report: Sales of 30+ MPG cars fell 10% in first five months of 2010 http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81467&goto=newpost Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:11:04 GMT Report: Sales of 30+ MPG cars fell 10% in first five months of 2010 &mdash; Autoblog Green

Quote:
Every month, Ward's Auto posts its Fuel Economy Index (FEI) numbers. Last time around, we noted that Ward's witnessed a decrease in buyer interest in fuel-efficient vehicles. While the numbers did indicate that overall fuel efficiency was still on the rise, it was also evident that buyers were opting for larger, less efficient vehicles. The FEI numbers posted for May are even more disturbing...
Sigh.... :(

I really wish EVERYONE got a mandatory education on our dependence on foreign oil, where most of the world's oil reserves are located, the % of world oil reserves the US has, the % of worldwide oil production the US consumes, oil choke points, geopolitical issues as it relates to oil and on the challenges of oil exploration and drilling, etc. If nothing else, it ought to be mandatory to anyone considering buying monstrosity class (curb weight >5000 lbs.) SUV or truck. ]]> Other Cars cwerdna http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81467