All Cars Electric Category: Toyota

Toyota City, Japan, smells pretty sweet these days according to a report by Richard Blackburn at drive.com.au. Japan's largest automaker has developed two new flower species to help offset CO2 emitted by the Prius factory there.

The leaves of one of the flowers, based on the cherry sage, absorb harmful gases in the air, while the leaves of the other flower, a variant of the gardenia, produce water vapor. The water vapor cools the facility's surroundings so less energy is required to maintain its temperature. As a result, less CO2 is emitted. Over the past 19 years, Toyota's initiatives have reduced the factory's CO2 emissions by 55 percent.

Japanese tuning firm, Tommy Kaira, has released a modified Toyota Prius that actually looks like it would be fun to drive. Unfortunately, it appears that the modifications are mostly visual, so if you were dreaming of a faster gas sipper, dream on.

The pimped-out Prius certainly looks meaner, with a front lip spoiler, larger rims and tires, and lower ride height. (Does anyone else have déjà vu?) Tommy Kaira's website also shows a "high performance exhaust system" for the Prius, but you'll need a Japanese translator to get much more information. The description of the product uses the words "sporty" and "eco" in close proximity, which is...

For most of the week last week, a 2010 Toyota Prius (third gen) served as my every-day driver. I drove it like I would have driven my own car. I didn't take it on any long road trips, because I didn't have any distant destinations. I didn't take it to a test track to see how many miles I could squeeze out of each gallon of gas. I just drove it around town, back and forth to school, work, the grocery store.

My very first impression of the car could best be summed up as a yawn. I liked the Prius, but I didn't LIKE like the Prius. It seemed bland. (Read my first impression review here.) But then, on only my second full day with the Prius, I...

My first impression of the third-gen Prius left me wondering what was cool about the vehicle. There aren't any growing leaves on the instrument panel, there's no sound that plays when you "boot up" the car (ala the Mac start-up sound). Yesterday, though, I had a mini-epiphany at the grocery store. Yes, while buying peanut butter and soup, I had a Prius-related ah-ha moment.

I picked up one of my daughter's friends, a recent high school graduate who is shopping for a car. I thought the Prius would be a good choice for her, a college student and burgeoning eco-warrior. As I drove, she poked around. When I dropped her off, she said, "This car...

Last month, I drove the Lexus HS 250h for one week, and this week, I'm test driving the third-gen Toyota Prius. When I sat inside, my first thought was: boy, I wish they had given me the Prius first, then the Lexus. Not that the Prius isn't a great little car. It's just not a luxury car.

I had driven the third-gen Prius at a ride and drive event in April, but that was only at low-to-medium speeds for just a couple of miles, with another journalist in the passenger seat and a Toyota PR person in the back seat. I liked the Prius then, too (read my review here) but I wiped the slate clean and prepared to experience driving the car for the first...

Toyota is planning to unveil three new hybrid concepts at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show including an intriguing 5-door hatch for their upscale Lexus brand. The LF-Ch (pictured above) is aimed squarely at the premium compact segment whose other notable players include the BMW 1-series and the Audi A3. What sets the LF-Ch apart from its German competitors is Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. Aside from that, precious few details have been released, but more information is expected in the days leading up to the Frankfurt show.

The Toyota Auris Hybrid will also be on display as it prepares for launch in mid-2010. The C-segment hybrid will be...