Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Eight Toyota Manufacturing Facilities Recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Improved Environmental Performance
Energy intensity is measured relative to efficiency improvements in process and equipment.
The ENERGY STAR Challenge For Industry program is only awarded to individual industrial sites. To gain recognition, the site’s company must be an ENERGY STAR partner. Earlier this year, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA) received its eighth consecutive ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency and management.
“Thanks to the efforts of our team members, Toyota has reduced our total energy use per vehicle over the last five years as we achieved greater energy efficiency across North America,” said TEMA Executive Vice President Steve St. Angelo. “This demonstrates that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen as we continuously identify new opportunities to reduce energy consumption while improving our processes.”
The eight Toyota facilities recognized by the EPA include: Bodine Aluminum (Jackson, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo.); Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (Huntsville); Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (Cambridge and Woodstock, Ont.); Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Princeton); Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (San Antonio); and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (Buffalo).
Several examples of reduction in energy intensity include:
| Plant Kaizen (Improvement) Example | Description | Benefits | Industry Challenge Energy Reduction (From Baseline) |
| Lighting efficiency (Bodine Aluminum, Jackson, Tenn.) | Replacement of lighting in several plant areas with energy efficient florescent lights with sensors | • Reduce CO2 emissions
• Cost savings
• Reduce energy usage
|
13.8% |
| Innovative lighting technology (Toyota Motor Mfg., Alabama) | Installation of Ultra Constant Discharge lighting in the plant’s parking lot | • Reduce CO2 emissions
• Cost savings
• Reduce energy usage |
24.1% |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hot water boiler linkage (Toyota Motor Mfg. Canada) | Installation of new controls allowing proper mixture without numerous adjustments | • Reduce CO2 emissions
• Reduce water usage |
28.5% |
|
|
|
• Reduce energy usage
• Less complexity |
|
| Paint booth HVAC system (Toyota Motor Mfg., Indiana) | Elimination of using outside air to cool/heat paint booth; current air intake is taken directly from plant, making temperature consistent | • Reduce CO2 emissions
• Reduce energy usage
• Less use of HVAC system, natural gas and electricity during peak times
|
36% |
Since 2006, Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing operations have received 18 Energy Star Plant Awards from the U.S. EPA, recognizing each plant’s energy performance over the past year and scoring in the top 25 percent of its industry.
*Courtesy of Toyota Newsroom
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Toyota Camry Become The Most "American" Car In The US
Cars.com com, the premier online resource for buying and selling new and used vehicles, announced today that the Toyota Camry has topped the site's annual American-Made Index. While this is the fourth consecutive year the Camry has held the top spot, the Ford F-150's return to the list resulted in the narrowest gap between first and second in the index's history.
"When people think about buying an 'American' car, they might just think automatically of the Detroit Three," said Patrick Olsen, Editor in Chief at Cars.com. "In reality, this classification isn't as cut and dry as it used to be. Today, Fiat owns a majority stake in Chrysler, companies like Toyota are increasing production of their vehicles in the U.S. and parts are coming in from all over the globe. Our index accounts for all of these factors to determine where vehicles rank."
In addition to domestic parts content and final assembly point of vehicles, the index also takes into account U.S. sales. This year, the Camry topped the F-150 based on less than two days of average sales for each vehicle.
"U.S. sales are a component of our index for a number of reasons," said Olsen. "For one thing, it's safe to say that the more a vehicle sells, the more U.S. workers are involved in production and delivery of the vehicle and the more U.S. dealers are profiting. Additionally, we think it's valid to give credit for how American buyers embrace a vehicle."
This year, Toyota, Honda and General Motors combined for eight of the 10 vehicles on the list. General Motors held three cars on the list with the Traverse (6), Acadia (9) and Enclave (10) all built in Lansing, Michigan. In addition to the No .1 rank, Toyota also has the Sienna (4) and Tundra (7) on the list. Honda's Accord dropped to third this year because of the re-entry of the F-150 on the index and the Pilot took the fifth position. Chrysler's Jeep Liberty (8) appeared on the AMI for the first time.
"For most car shoppers, how 'American' a vehicle is doesn't impact their final purchase," said Olsen. "However, according to a Cars.com survey we conducted in May, nearly 25 percent do prefer to buy American and nearly half of those people would be swayed to buy a foreign make if they knew it was assembled in the U.S. We do our index every year to make sure shoppers who do factor this into their purchase decision have the right information."
| Rank | Make/Model | U.S. Assembly Location(s) | Rank in July 2011 |
| 1. | Toyota Camry | Georgetown, Ky.; Lafayette, Ind. | 1 |
| 2. | Ford F-150 | Dearborn, Mich.; Claycomo, Mo. | - |
| 3. | Honda Accord | Marysville, Ohio | 2 |
| 4. | Toyota Sienna | Princeton, Ind. | 6 |
| 5. | Honda Pilot | Lincoln, Ala. | - |
| 6. | Lansing, Mich. | 8 | |
| 7. | Toyota Tundra | San Antonio, Tex. | 9 |
| 8. | Jeep Liberty | Toledo, Ohio | - |
| 9. | GMC Acadia | Lansing, Mich. | 10 |
| 10. | Buick Enclave | Lansing, Mich. | - |
*Courtesy of Autospies.com
Monday, July 23, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
North Hills Toyota is A Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealership. Follow the link below to learn more!
[[posterous-content:jEGJChcxqweqnorvsHkq]]
Women-Drivers.com is a marketplace connecting women buyers and trusted car dealers. The site encourages extraordinary commercial experiences and lasting relationships between car dealerships and this powerful group of consumers. Women write car dealer reviews about their Browse, Purchase and Service experiences at car dealerships in the United States. Dealers receive WSI® (Women Satisfaction Index®) scores from reviews and qualify to be Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers. Women are able to quickly locate and do business with these Certified dealers on the site.
Dealerships who reach and maintain their Certified status receive a number of free web-based marketing solutions to distinguish their store, including:
- SEO optimization
- Facebook integration of reviews
- Ability to thank, engage and respond to reviewers
- Top placement in our search engine
- Logos for promotional use
These services are provided at no-cost because some women are already skeptical about visiting a dealership. Women question the authenticity of the reviews when they know a dealer paid a fee to be 'certified'. Our model ensures customers are the ones 'certifying' a dealership - not an independent company that is being paid by the dealership.
The business provides other innovative products that help car dealers increase their sales to women. We help dealers provide genuine value to Women+Families all year round, not just the four or five days out of the year when a woman is actually in the dealership. This value produces greater trust and transparency, resulting in:
- Higher conversion rates
- Increased sales and servicing
- Larger social communities
- Improved CSI scores
- Expanded 'Facebook Generation' customers
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Honda-Toyota Record North American Output Helps Elvis Home: Cars
Honda Motor Co. (7267) and Toyota Motor Corp. (7203)’s North American plants, stalled by parts shortages a year ago, are leading an industrywide assembly surge buoying cities from the Midwest to the deep South amid a languid U.S. economy.
In Tupelo, Mississippi, 18 miles from Toyota’s new Blue Springs plant, Elvis Presley’s birthplace has seen its jobless rate drop to 8 percent with the start of Corolla production last year, from 12.5 percent previously, said Mayor Jack Reed Jr. The arrival of the plant and parts makers helped the city of 35,000 rebound from furniture-making jobs lost to China, he said.
“Both unemployment and revenues have been affected by Toyota,” Reed said, adding that sales-tax collections have increased 6.4 percent this year. “It’s a great thing when you get people back employed; when instead of using a food pantry now they volunteer at one.”
Rebounding auto production and sales are bright spots this year amid tepid job growth and wavering consumer sentiment. Honda, with an industry-leading 75 percent output surge, followed by Toyota’s 66 percent increase, and Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. aim to keep raising North American assembly and parts purchases to blunt losses from the yen’s sustained strength.
Rising production is particularly significant for states such as Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Alabama that have the highest concentration of vehicle and parts plants, said Gus Faucher, a senior economist in Pittsburgh for PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Toyota and Honda are both on pace this year to break their 2007 records for North American output.
“There is a lot of pent-up demand for autos, and it’s likely to stay strong for the next few years,” Faucher said. “The currency effects are also going to favor the U.S. for some time.”
*Courtesy of Businessweek.com
Monday, July 16, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Toyota Sales Increase More Than 60 Percent in June 2012
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported June 2012 sales results of 177,795 units, an increase of 54.3 percent compared to the same period last year on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis. On a raw volume basis, unadjusted for 27 selling days in June 2012 compared to 26 selling days in June 2011, TMS sales were up 60.3 percent from the year-ago month. The Toyota Division posted June total sales of 157,773 units, an increase of 51.7 percent on a DSR basis from June 2011. On a raw volume basis, Toyota Division sales were up 57.5 percent from the year-ago month. For the first half of the year, TMS reported sales of 1,046,096 units. With 154 selling days in the first half of 2012, compared to 152 selling days during the first half of 2011, sales were up 27.0 percent on a DSR basis from the same period last year. On a raw volume basis, unadjusted for two extra selling days in 2012, sales were up 28.7 percent during the first half of the year. “June and first-half year sales were driven by consumer interest in our new models including the Prius c, the newest member of the Prius family, and the Camry, the best-selling car in America," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "We expect to see continued stability in the automotive market during the second half of 2012 thanks to pent-up demand, low interest rates and a continued influx of new products." The Lexus Division reported total sales of 20,022 units in June 2012, up 79.0 percent from June 2011 on a DSR basis. Volume-wise, Lexus Division sales were up 85.9 percent compared to the same period last year.
Toyota Division
Toyota Division passenger cars recorded combined monthly sales of 90,079 units, up 68.1 percent from June 2011. Passenger car sales were led by Camry and Camry Hybrid with combined sales of 32,107 units, and Corolla reported combined June sales of 26,647 units. The Prius family of vehicles posted June sales of 19,150 units. Toyota Division light trucks recorded June sales of 67,694 units, an increase of 34.3 percent compared to the same month last year. Light truck sales were led by the RAV4 compact SUV and Tacoma mid-size pickup truck, with monthly sales of 15,129 and 11,864 respectively. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid reported combined sales of 10,379 units, and the Tundra full-size pickup reported sales of 8,693 unit. Scion posted June sales of 8,400 units, up of 134.1 percent over June 2011. The newly launched FR-S sports car led the way with sales of 2,684. The tC sports coupe reported sales of 2,128 units, flat year-over-year. The xD five-door urban subcompact posted sales of 1,017 units, and the xB urban utility vehicle posted June sales of 1,869 units. The all-new iQ premium micro-subcompact posted monthly sales of 702 units.
Lexus Division
Lexus reported passenger car sales of 10,247 units, up 99.7 percent from June 2011. The ES 350 entry luxury sedan led Lexus passenger car sales with sales of 3,780 units, while the IS luxury sports sedan reported sales of 2,572 units. The CT 200h premium hybrid compact posted 1,387 units. Lexus luxury utility vehicles recorded sales of 9,775 units, up 61.4 percent over June 2011. Lexus light truck sales were led by the RX and RX Hybrid luxury utility vehicle, which posted combined June sales of 8,641 units. The GX 460 mid-size luxury utility vehicle reported sales of 808 units, while the LX luxury utility vehicle recorded sales of 326 units.
TMS Hybrids
TMS posted June sales of 25,776 hybrid vehicles, an increase of 335.2 percent compared to the same period last year. Toyota Division posted June sales of 23,105 hybrids, while Lexus Division reported sales of 2,671 hybrids for the month.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Companies Sign Memorandum of Understanding Aimed at Collaboration in Four Technological Fields
Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), met today with Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at the BMW Group headquarters in Munich to announce the planned expansion of their existing cooperation initiated in December last year. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at a long-term strategic collaboration in four fields: joint development of a fuel cell system, joint development of architecture and components for a future sports vehicle, collaboration on powertrain electrification and joint research and development on lightweight technologies.
Also today, Reithofer and Toyoda signed a Joint Statement to reconfirm their companies' shared intention to strengthen the long-term, strategic collaboration between them.
Reithofer said: "We aim to further strengthen our competitive position in sustainable future technologies. We signed an MoU to this effect today. Toyota and the BMW Group share the same strategic vision of sustainable individual future mobility. Together we have a great opportunity to continue leading our industry through this transformation."
Toyoda added: "BMW and Toyota both want to make ever-better cars. We respect each other. That is why we already can take the next step together." He went on to say: "Toyota is strong in environment-friendly hybrids and fuel cells … I believe BMW's strength is developing sports cars. I get so excited thinking about the cars that will result from this relationship."
In March 2012, the BMW Group and TMC signed a binding agreement on collaborative research in the field of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells. In addition, the BMW Group and Toyota Motor Europe entered into a contract in December last year, under which the BMW Group will supply highly efficient 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre diesel engines to Toyota Motor Europe starting in 2014.
Today's MoU represents the companies' agreement in December last year to identify and discuss other possible collaborative projects.
*Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom