In the battle against COVID-19, healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, hospital administrative staff, including cleaning and transportation staff, are on the frontlines, putting their professionalism and expertise at the fore, to fight for the rest of us.
Respecting the contribution of these heroes, Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), an independent not-for-profit foundation aimed at enabling mobility for all, announced its intention to provide 10 connected and sanitized shuttles that would be made available free of cost to certain hospitals that are treating COVID-19 cases.
These shuttles will be equipped with software that allow the commuters to book seats on routes that are dynamically generated to ensure that the most effective route is designed for the passengers requesting rides. The passengers will have certainty on the pick-up location and time to ensure that they can get to work at a designated time and transportation when they leave.
The ‘Just-in-Time’ software is designed by Singapore-based SWAT Mobility, a company that provides demand-responsive, ride-sharing solutions. The shuttles will also be adapted for sanitization with products and services including air purification devices, seat covers that can be periodically changed, and frequent cleansing services. Social distancing guidelines for passenger numbers will also be followed.
Representing TMF, Pras Ganesh, Program Director for Asia Region, said: “The aim of TMF is to provide the best possible mobility solution which allows the healthcare workers to have a safe, convenient and free commute which also allows peace of mind at this uncertain time. Based upon the Bangkok experience, we also aim to roll this service out in some Southeast Asian countries. Once standardized, the operating procedure, will also be made available to anyone who would like to provide similar services.”
The services will be rolled out with operational support from Toyota Motor Thailand and Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd. It aims to start from mid-April and operate for a period of at least 3 months.
Besides collaborating on the BMWZ4 and Toyota Supra, the BMW Group and Toyota have been working together on fuel cell technology. As Toyota has already commercialised a fuel cell vehicle (the Mirai), it can offer a good deal of knowledge and information to developing the alternative powertrain technology.
“We are convinced that various alternative powertrain systems will exist alongside one another in future, as there is no single solution that addresses the full spectrum of customers’ mobility requirements worldwide. The hydrogen fuel cell technology could quite feasibly become the fourth pillar of our powertrain portfolio in the long term. The upper-end models in our extremely popular X family would make particularly suitable candidates here,” said Klaus Frohlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Research and Development.
The BMW Group has been working with Toyota on fuel cell technology since 2013. Now it can offer the first virtual insights into the powertrain system for the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT.
Future prospects
Although the BMW Group has no doubt as to the long-term potential of fuel cell powertrain systems, it will be some time before the company offers its customers a production car powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology. This is primarily due to the fact that the right framework conditions are not yet in place.
“In our view, hydrogen as energy carrier must first be produced in sufficient quantities at a competitive price using green electricity. Hydrogen will then be used primarily in applications that cannot be directly electrified, such as long-distance heavy-duty transport,” said Frohlich.
The requisite infrastructure, such as an extensive Europe-wide network of hydrogen filling stations, is also lacking at present. However, the BMW Group is pressing ahead with its development work in the field of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company is using the time until the infrastructure and sustainably produced hydrogen supply are in place to substantially reduce the cost of manufacturing the powertrain system.
Initial technical details
The fuel cell system for the powertrain for the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT generates up to 125 kW (170 bhp) of electric energy from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen from the ambient air. The vehicle emits nothing but water vapour. The electric converter located underneath the fuel cell adapts the voltage level to that of both the electric powertrain and the peak power battery, which is fed by brake energy as well as the energy from the fuel cell.
The two high-pressure tanks to store hydrogen can be filled up within a few minutes.
The vehicle also accommodates a pair of tanks that can together hold 6 kgs of hydrogen. Refuelling only takes 3 to 4 minutes and the capacity of the tanks gives a long range of travel.
The fifth-generation eDrive unit set to make its debut in the BMW iX3 is also fully integrated into the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT. This hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain will go through a pilot run in a small batch of SUVs based on the current BMW X5 that the BMW Group plans to present in 2022. However, volume production with hydrogen fuel cell technology will only start in the second half of this decade, at the earliest. That too will depend on the global market conditions and requirements.
Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell system already in use in the Mirai.The Mirai FCV has been on sale since 2014 in selected markets. A second generation has already been developed and will be launched at the end of this year.
Collaboration with Toyota
Besides partnering with the Japanese carmaker on the development and industrialisation of fuel cell technology for the mass market, the two companies are also founding members of the Hydrogen Council. A wealth of other leading companies in the energy, transport and industrial sectors have joined the Hydrogen Council since 2017, swelling its ranks to over 80 members. The BMW Group’s participation in the research project BRYSON (a German acronym for ‘space-efficient hydrogen storage tanks with optimised usability’) underlines its faith in the future viability and potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology.
With the extension of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by the government, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has announced that all authorised Toyota and Lexus dealerships will continue to remain closed.
However, the company reiterated that it continues to be contactable to all customers for any emergencies or enquiries during this period on its existing helplines as well as 5 additional helplines created for this period of time. Customers may contact the following numbers throughout the duration of the MCO.
Additionally, it was announced that all vehicles purchased from UMWT or their authorised dealers with existing warranties that are valid and expiring during this period will enjoy a 30-day extension calculated from the last day of the MCO.
All service appointments scheduled during this MCO period will be rescheduled after the MCO is lifted and when operations resume. It gives assurance to all customers that support, where necessary, will be provided during this period.
Before the 1970s, corrosion in metal car bodies was a problem and one of the reasons was that the protective layer of primer paint was not effectively applied over the metal surfaces. It was manually sprayed on so there would be some little sections that may not have been covered. And like a cut in your skin allowing germs to enter your body and infect you, a small unprotected spot on the metal could allow corrosion to start.
This changed when the electro-deposition (ED) dipping process was introduced where the entire bodyshell was submerged in a giant tank of primer paint. It was covered 100% and even the cavities got properly covered. After the 1970s, corrosion issues reduced significantly. Galvanization of the steel (adding a zinc coating) also made a big contribution to reducing corrosion and enabling vehicles to last longer.
The ASSB plant in Shah Alam, Selangor, started using the ED system in 1979 and corrosion resistance of Toyotas increased significantly, The picture shows a KE70 Corolla being lowered into a tank of primer paint so coverage is complete.
Over the primer goes coloured paint that is sprayed on either manually or in many plants these days, with robotic spraying machines. The quality of application has improved greatly over the years, but coating efficiency has been around 60% to 70%, which you aren’t like to notice but to the quality control people, it is a known issue.
95% coating efficiency
Now Toyota has developed a new type of airless paint atomizer that achieves over 95% coating efficiency (the amount of paint sprayed versus the amount that actually adheres onto the vehicle body), the highest in the world. The machine – the first of its kind in the world – uses static electricity instead of air, to replace the conventional air paint atomizers used in the vehicle body painting process.
By deploying the airless paint atomizer in Toyota Group’s painting process, it is expected that the factories in the Group can reduce CO2 emissions by about 7% as well. In addition, the collection device situated at the bottom of the paint booth (the area where paint is sprayed) can be made more compact. Therefore, painting production lines in the future can be more compact.
Toyota is advancing initiatives to achieve its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge, one of the targets included in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 announced in 2015. As part of this effort, it developed the airless paint atomizer and deployed it at both Takaoka and Tsutsumi Plants. Gradual deployment at other plants is planned as well as consideration of deployment among other Toyota Group companies and licensing the technology to other companies.
How it works
Conventional air paint atomizer sprayed paint primarily using aerodynamic force, then paint the vehicle body with the atomized particles using an air paint atomizer. For this reason, paint particles are scattered by the air ricocheting off the vehicle body, with up to 40% lost. By comparison, the new airless paint atomizer uses electricity to spray the paint (electrostatic atomization), and the statically charged particles coat in such a way that they gravitate toward the vehicle body (electrostatic painting).
Electrostatic atomization and electrostatic painting technologies greatly reduce the number of atomized particles that scatter, thereby achieving a higher coating efficiency. In a way, it is like the ED process that has been used for applying primer where electrical charges attract the paint to stick onto the metal.
Following a global recall of a number of Toyota and Lexus models, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) has announced a Special Service Campaign (SSC) to replace a fuel pump. In Malaysia, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has identified around 12,000 units of Toyota models (Alphard, Camry, Corolla, Innova and Fortuner) and 1,500 units of Lexus models (GS300, GS350, IS300, LC500/500H, LS460, LS500/500H, LS600H, NX200T/300H, RC350/300H, RX350/450H and RX350/450)
The vehicles were manufactured between 2013 and 2019 and distributed by UMWT. The company stresses that models not listed above are not affected by this recall.
Lexus NX is among the models which need to have the fuel pump replaced.
The issue with the fuel pump is that it may stop operating. If this were to occur, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel, and engine power hesitation may happen. This may result in the vehicle stalling and being unable to restart. TMC is concerned that this could increase the risk of a crash while driving at higher speeds.
UMWT will officially notify affected vehicle owners to bring their vehicles in for the replacement of the fuel pump unit. There will be no charges for the parts and labour involved in this SSC.
If you own one of the vehicles listed and it was manufactured between 2013 and 2019 (and distributed through the authorised Toyota and Lexus network) but do not receive any notification from UMWT, you can contact any authorised Toyota Service Centre or call the Toyota Freephone at 1800-8-TOYOTA (869682) for assistance. For Lexus owners, contact authorised Lexus Service Centres or call the Lexus Freephone at 1800-22-LEXUS (53987).
UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) is informing customers that there are no planned increases in prices of Toyota CKD (locally-assembled) models at this time. The company is probably making this statement in view of the speculation of prices going up as Honda Malaysia recently announced increases for some of its models.
While it was reported earlier that there will be no price increases for CKD models, this only refers to any effect from the transparent methodology of reporting the Open Market Value (OMV). The Finance Ministry gave assurance that if any CKD model was affected by increased prices as a result of the calculations, the amount of increase would be fully absorbed/exempted by the Finance Ministry during 2020.
Nevertheless, as we also pointed out in the earlier report, it does not mean that prices will not change at all in 2020 due to other factors. Ravindran K, President of UMWT, said that factors such as exchange rates and tax revisions can affect prices. “As far as possible, the company has always tried to maintain price stability by absorbing the increases as much as we can,” he added.
The Yaris, priced from RM70.888, is currently the lowest-priced CKD Toyota model and its price remains unchanged.
The CKD models in UMWT’s current line-up are the Toyota Yaris, Toyota Vios, Toyota Rush, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Innova and Toyota Hiace.
For the current prices of the various models, visit www.toyota.com.my or any authorised dealership and UMWT branch nationwide.
The upgraded 2020 Toyota Alphard and Toyota Vellfire models will be in Toyota showrooms in Malaysia soon and pre-launch orders are now being accepted. UMW Toyota Motor, the importer and distributor of the vehicles from Japan, is pricing the latest premium MPV models from RM383,000 for the Vellfire (one variant) and RM465,000 for the Alphard (two variants).
The latest Alphard and Vellfire have been upgraded with advanced systems being added in two areas – Safety and Connectivity. This is in line with UMWT’s 360-T New Brand Experience Strategy that emphasizes Safe-T and Connectivi-T.
The new or enhanced systems are Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), Parking Support Brake System, 9-inch AVX Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-Ready Connectivity, Front & Rear Digital Video Recorder, Vehicle Telematics System (VTS), and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.
TSS is a suite of advanced systems that provide driver assistance to avoid accidents or reduce their severity if they occur. These include Pre-collision System, Lane Departure Alert, Lane Tracing Assist, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control – All Speed. The latter is more advanced than normal cruise control systems as it can vary the cruising speed when necessary for safety.
With Parking Support Brake System added in the 2020 models, drivers have the support of an intelligent parking system to detect objects in the surrounding areas of the vehicle during the parking process. Should any object be detected, the brakes will be automatically applied and the engine power cut back so that collisions can be avoided. Even if a collision does occur, the early action of the system can reduce damage.
Alphard dashboardInterior of Vellfire
Besides the Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) that enables the driver to view all round the vehicle, the front and rear DVRs constantly record the views ahead and behind. Apart from recording the scenery on a holiday journey, in the event of an incident and dispute, the recordings would be useful evidence for the vehicle owner.
The Vehicle Telematics System (VTS) for the Vellfire and Alphard is a connectivity feature that uses GPS/GSM to track the location of the car at all times. This can aid recovery by the police if the vehicle is stolen. VTS can also monitor and record vehicle speeds and other operating conditions that the vehicle has been subjected to, with data sent by email to a designated user.
No design changes are mentioned to the two models for the new model year but there are 4 exterior colours to choose from – Luxury White Pearl CS GF (only for Alphard 3.5 Executive Lounge and Alphard 3.5L); Burning Black CS GF (only for Vellfire 2.5L); and White Pearl C, Graphite Metallic and Black (available for both Alphard and Vellfire).
Vellfire headlightsThe Alphard has a 3.5-litre V6 engine while the Vellfire uses a 2.5-litre engine.
As with all other models imported by UMWT, owners of the Vellfire and Alphard will enjoy a full factory warranty, with availability of genuine replacement parts when required. Aftersales support is also assured with personnel trained to service the models using the necessary special tools and equipment.
Customers can locate the nearest showroom by visiting toyota.com.my or calling the Toyota freephone line 1-800-8-TOYOTA (869682).
Ferrari has been awarded the title of the world’s strongest brand for the second consecutive year by Brand Finance, an international independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy. With a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 94.1 out of 100, the 80-year old Italian carmaker tops the rankings of only 12 brands to be awarded the highest AAA+ rating.
In the previous year, Ferrari claimed the title with a score of 94.8 out of 100 and an AAA+ rating as well.
The Brand Finance Global 500 2020 report calculates the value of the Ferrari brand at US$9.1 billion with year-on-year growth of 9%, boosted by positive sales and overall brand strength. The brand value is determined by estimating the net economic benefit to the brand owner of licensing the trademark on the open market. It measures brand strength on the basis of the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures compared to its competitors.
Most Admired Company – Toyota
Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corporation was ranked as the top automaker in Fortune Magazine’s list of the ‘2020 World’s Most Admired Companies’. This is the sixth consecutive time that the Japanese carmaker has been received the recognition and it is only one of two carmakers in the top 100 rankings (the other being BMW).
Fortune’s ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ list is widely acknowledged as the definitive report card on corporate reputation and is based on company surveys and industry peer ratings from over 3,700 senior executives, directors and industry analysts from around the world.
Toyota had the highest score in 8 criteria which the survey measured.
For each company, the survey measured 9 attributes considered critical to a company’s global success, including quality of products and services, social and environmental responsibility, global competitiveness, and value as an investment, among others.
Production of the previous generation of the Toyota Supra ended in 2002 and a follow-up generation did not appear till the launch of the GR Supra in 2019. Enthusiasts were naturally sad when Toyota had announced that Supra production would end, with no indication of whether it could be resumed.
All the units that were still on the road and still in good running condition were obviously cared for, with aftersales support continuing from Toyota dealers. Though it is not known how long Toyota continued to produce replacements parts for the earlier Supra models, some companies will do so for up to 10 years after last production of a model.
Well, it has been 17 years since the Supra (the A80 generation) was last produced so the carmaker would unlikely be making replacement parts. There would be other companies which may make certain parts but these would not be the same as Toyota Genuine Parts which have assured quality.
Replacement parts for past two generations
Now Toyota has announced that it will reproduce replacement parts for the Supra A70 generation (produced between 1986 and 1983) as well as the A80 generation (1993 – 2002). The parts will be produced as a GR Heritage Parts Project and will be sold in Japan and selected overseas markets. Perhaps the GR Garage which is located at some Toyota dealerships in Malaysia will also offer (or at least take orders) for such parts.
At this time, the list of parts available are as follow: A70 Supra – propeller shaft, door handle, fuel sender gauge, weather strip, front emblem
A80 Supra – headlamps, door handle, brake booster
Headlamps and propeller shafts are among the parts planned for reproduction.
Toyota wants to hear from you too
Retail sales were original scheduled to start in 2020 but Toyota says this may be postponed to 2021 due to manufacturing reasons. In the meantime, the carmaker also invites requests and suggestions for parts to be reproduced. A page on the Toyota GAZOO Racing website has a form to submit the requests (click here to go to the page).
Total production numbers for the two Supra generations are hard to come by but in as far as sales in North America were concerned, over 100,000 units of the A79 generation and around 12,000 units of the A80 generation were sold. The smaller number for the A80 Supra reflected the diminished interest in sportscars, especially coupes, during the 1990s as SUV popularity grew. This trend also influenced other carmakers to cease sportscar production as the numbers became economically unviable.
When ‘Toyota’ is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind will be the motorcar. This is the product that the company has been making since the 1930s and is a global leader in the auto industry. However, motor vehicles are not Toyota’s only business (in fact, textile looms feature in its earliest history) and apart from many other types of products, Toyota has been involved in the housing business since the mid-1970s.
Initially, the company produced prefabricated houses that could be easily constructed using a variety of different building techniques. It then expanded its business to include condominiums and rental housing. Today, the Toyota Housing Corporation is a successful subsidiary of the world’s No. 1 automaker. Employing lean manufacturing concepts and strategies from The Toyota Production System, the construction techniques meet high quality and efficiency standards.
Toyota has been offering prefabricated houses since the mid-1970s. These are two of many designs that customers can choose from.
From offering individual houses, Toyota now plans to make a giant leap to the next level as it has revealed plans to build a prototype “city” of the future. Announced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, the Woven City, as it is called, will be located on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. The ground-breaking for the site is planned for early 2021.
Envisioned as a ‘living laboratory’, the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence in a real-world environment.
“Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology… in both the virtual and the physical realms… maximizing its potential,” said Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Toyota will extend an open invitation to collaborate with other commercial and academic partners and invite interested scientists and researchers from around the world to come work on their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real-world incubator.
“We welcome all those inspired to improve the way we live in the future, to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in our quest to create an ever-better way of life and mobility for all,” said the Toyota President.
For the design of Woven City, Toyota has commissioned the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his team at BIG have designed many high-profile projects such as 2 World Trade Centre in New York and Lego House in Denmark. The firm was also responsible for the design of Google’s Mountain View and London headquarters.
“A swarm of different technologies are beginning to radically change how we inhabit and navigate our cities. Connected, autonomous, emission-free and shared mobility solutions are bound to unleash a world of opportunities for new forms of urban life. With the breadth of technologies and industries that we have been able to access and collaborate with from the Toyota ecosystem of companies, we believe we have a unique opportunity to explore new forms of urbanity with the Woven City that could pave new paths for other cities to explore,” said Ingels.
Design of the city
The masterplan of the city includes the designations for street usage into 3 types: for faster vehicles only; for a mix of lower speed, personal mobility and pedestrians; and for a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. These 3 street types weave together to form an organic grid pattern to help accelerate the testing of autonomy.
The city is planned to be fully sustainable, with buildings made mostly of wood to minimize the carbon footprint, using traditional Japanese wood joinery, combined with robotic production methods. The rooftops will be covered in photo-voltaic panels to generate solar power in addition to power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota plans to weave in the outdoors throughout the city, with native vegetation and hydroponics.
Residences will be equipped with the latest in human support technologies, such as in-home robotics to assist with daily living. The homes will use sensor-based AI to check occupants’ health, take care of basic needs and enhance daily life, creating an opportunity to deploy connected technology with integrity and trust, securely and positively.
To move residents through the city, only fully-autonomous, zero-emission vehicles will be allowed on the main thoroughfares. In and throughout Woven City, autonomous Toyota e-Palettes will be used for transportation and deliveries, as well as for changeable mobile retail.
Both neighbourhood parks and a large central park for recreation, as well as a central plaza for social gatherings, are designed to bring the community together. Toyota believes that encouraging human connection will be an equally important aspect of this experience.
Toyota plans to populate Woven City with Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, retired couples, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners. The plan is for 2,000 people to start, adding more as the project evolves.
In 2012, Toyota also created the ‘Ecoful Town’ in Toyota City as a test project for a Low Carbon Society System.
