The Toyota logo is seen on a hybrid of Avalon at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 14, 2013?? UPI Brian Kersey 2013As expected, Toyota Motor Co. last week Japan's regained the No. 1 ranking among global automakers after selling 9.75 million vehicles last year.
The Japanese automaker reported sales of its brands Lexus, Scion, Hino and Diahatsu jumped nearly 23 percent in 2012, the company recovered from natural disasters that reduced production in 2011 and moved to put a number behind Toyota recalls fell to no. 3 globally in 2011, behind GM and Volkswagen.
After a year at the top, General Motors co. was the No. 2 sales leader with 9.29 million vehicles sold and Volkswagen of Germany was third, Selling 9.1 million vehicles worldwide last year.
Nissan Motor Co., the second largest automaker of Japan, 4.94 million vehicles sold last year, 5.8 percent and Honda Motor Co. saw sales jump 19 percent to 3.82 million.
Toyota sold 2.08 million vehicles in the United States in 2012, an increase of 27%, while sales in Japan rose the 35 percent to 2.41 million vehicles and increased 2 per cent in Europe.
Fuel cells affordable?
Three international automakers have reached a joint agreement to develop what many consider the Holy Grail of alternative fuels-hydrogen fuel cells.
Executives at Ford Motor Co. in Detroit, Franco-Japanese Renault-Nissan and Daimler of Germany hope to create a common system of electric and hydrogen fuel have "first affordable, mass market fuel cell cars in the world ' on the road by 2017.
Fuel cells generate electricity from hydrogen with oxygen with water and heat the byproducts. But the partnership faces the difficult task of fuel cell development at affordable prices that can stimulate the creation of infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations.
The three automakers so they face competition from BMW and Toyota, Germany that are cooperating on its fuel cell technology.
Share the costs for the development of a common stack of fuel cells and related systems.
"The cost of production so far has been prohibitive," Dr. Anthony Baxendale of future technologies & Research transport in Britain told the BBC, "in order to collaborate and joining forces will hopefully accelerate the development. The technology is there-was the cost now. that are not valid until "
In a statement released during a press conference in Germany, the three automakers said they are hoping that the partnership "would define specific and global standard for important prerequisite components to achieve greater economies of scale."
Daimler and Ford already partner at automotive cooperation of fuel cells, a development of fuel cells in Vancouver, Canada, and Daimler and Renault-Nissan signed on sharing motor contract in 2012.
"We believe that play fuel cell vehicles wants a central role for zero-emission mobility in the future," said Professor Thomas Weber, Member of the Board for the Group research and development Mercedes-Benz Cars, who told the New York times the partnership hopes eventually to produce 100,000 vehicles, although no time frame given what.
Honda, which is not part of the agreement, had its fuel cell vehicle FCX Clarity zero emissions on the road in Southern California from 2008, which offers a three-year $ 600 a month, including insurance, lease for maintenance, roadside assistance and hydrogen.
Is the range for clarity on a single reservoir about 240 km hydrogen.
Wide availability of hydrogen fuel would overcome the limitations of range of electric vehicles, which have been slow to attract buyers.
Ford recently began offering customers as much as three years lease $ 10,750 EV focus out to her and dropped the base price for the all-electric car by $ 2,000 for cash sales.
A customer Ford can get a "red carpet lease" on a focus EV-for 36 months with 10,500 miles a year-for $ 285 a month with $930 due to the signature.
Ford sold only 685 focus EVs of 1,627 built last year.
"Our intent is to make fuel economy mass-market", a Ford spokesperson told the times. "We expect that for a considerable period of time that our electric car battery sales will be less than our hybrid and plug-in hybrid for sale."
Nissan recently cut the price of its all-electric leaf 2013 S from 18 per cent to $ 28,000.
The environmental protection agency is testing mileage claims new hybrid Ford C-Max, which holds 47 mpg. The plug-in C-Max Energi maintains a combined gasoline and electric range of 100 miles per gallon equivalent. 21 Miles can go on batteries alone.
Subcompact Toyota Prius C, voted "greenist" vehicle from the American Council for an energy efficient economy, fuel economy claims city and highway mpg 53 46 mpg. The Honda fit EV rentals only that second. The Ford focus EV which is 10° in the list "greenist" of the organization.
Chicago Auto Show ramps up
Among the vehicles is introduced at the Chicago Auto Show this week is the 2014 Toyota Tundra diesel and Chevrolet Cruze.
Full-size pickup Toyota shares the stage with the 2013 redesigned RAV4 sports utility vehicle and 2013 Toyota Avalon. The concept of Corolla elegant Fury that made its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January so wants to attract attention. Toyota has sold more than 40 million Corollas worldwide of them since 1968 million in the United States.
The Texas-built Tundra pickup trailed with just 6.2% market share in 2012 the full-size Ford and GM trucks. Ford has presented a concept for a new F-150, the best-selling pick-up, in Detroit, Michigan.
"Chicago has long considered one of the top consumer design auto show in the country," Toyota car Show planner Brent Marrero said. "We know that ' made in America ' is particularly important for people living in the Midwest, and we believe that we have a great story to tell, with 70 percent of all our vehicles sold in [the] US under construction well here."
Chevrolet cruise Diesel, should go on sale in April, is one of 13 new or refreshened direction Chevys showrooms this year. The cruising diesel will be built at the General Motors Lordstown Assembly in Youngstown, Ohio.
KIA, Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford and Chrysler in that all are expected to make presentations of the vehicle.
