Toyota in 2015: A True Friend to the Environment
The end of the year is nigh, which means it’s time to start looking back at 2015 and summarizing the good, the bad, and the evil. In the case of Toyota, there was no evil, but there was plenty of good. In this look back on the past 12 months, we summarize some of the Japanese automaker’s most notable accomplishments.
Back to the Present: 1980s movie stars help promote the Toyota Mirai
[wptab name=”Mirai”]
Mirai
In 2015, Toyota released its first ever mass-production hydrogen fuel-cell-powered vehicle. The 2016 Toyota Mirai is now available for purchase in Japan, certain European countries, and California. Given the newness of this technology, Toyota is only selling the Mirai in places that have existing hydrogen refueling infrastructure, but is helping expand that infrastructure with the aim to make the Mirai more widespread in the coming years.
[wptab name=”Prius”]
New Prius
While the Mirai is a pioneer of hydrogen cars, the Prius was the pioneer of gasoline-electric hybrids. This year saw the unveiling of the all-new fourth-generation 2016 Toyota Prius at a press event in Las Vegas, followed by its official premiere to the public at the LA Auto Show. The new Prius boasts sportier styling, updated technology, and an increase in efficiency to make it better than ever before. It’ll be available for purchase in the US in 2016.
[wptab name=”Tacoma”]
Redesigned Tacoma
In 2015, Toyota released the redesigned 2016 Tacoma. This marks the mid-size pickup’s third generation, and brings it up-to-date in order to better compete with the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, which recently re-entered the segment. The Tacoma was extremely well-received, and was named the Mid-Size Pickup Truck of Texas, among other things. The all-new Tacoma helped Toyota reinvigorate the reemerging mid-size truck segment in the US.
[wptab name=”Awards”]
Awards
Toyota is no stranger to awards, and 2015 was no exception. The Corolla was recently named the most reliable car in America in the CarMD Vehicle Health Index Manufacturer & Vehicle Reliability Rankings. Additionally, back in June, Edmunds.com named Toyota the top non-luxury brand in its Best Retained Value Awards. Other awards and accolades from this year include an EPA Excellence Award for Toyota Transport, a Canadian Vincentric award, a South African Dealer Satisfaction award, and a whole host of Top Safety Pick+ awards from the IIHS.
[wptab name=”Environment”]
Environment
Given the success of the Prius and the recent release of the Mirai, it’s no surprise that Toyota is a friend to the environment in more ways than one. In 2015, the automaker helped preserve water, recycled automotive parts, and helped rehabilitate baby hawks. Additionally, Toyota helped promote the use of hybrid cars in polluted India, cleaned up public spaces on Public Lands Day, and was named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the 11th consecutive year.
[end_wptabset]
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