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Fiore Toyota will be releasing a Research & Review Page for the 2015 Toyota Highlander to provide important vehicle research information to customers coming to us from Hollidaysburg, Altoona, Johnstown, State College and Indiana, PA who are interested in learning more about this model.  Keep checking back for an announcement on the official release of the full page if you are interested in learning specifics on this all-new model such as trim level options, EPA estimates, powertrain options, safety, technological amd comfort features.

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) has been actively researching ways to improve and advance automotive safety technologies.  CSRC will now be focusing its efforts on improving emerging automated- and connected-vehicle technologies.  To do so, the group will explore the connection between social trends and future mobility to create a safer future driving environment.

CSRC was recently granted a $35 million commitment allowing them to continue their research efforts on through 2020.  The center shares its research with institutions throughout the U.S in order to collaborated and spread the development of safety technologies.  In the past three years CSRC has focused the majority of its efforts on at-risk traffic populations, active safety and driver distraction.

“At Toyota, we believe in the fundamental principle that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen,” said Osamu Nagata, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA), who made the announcement at Toyota’s 2014 Advanced Safety Seminar in Ann Arbor, Mich.  “As new automotive technologies continue to evolve, CSRC is committed to working with its partners across the industry and beyond to help realize a future of mobility that is safer and greener than today.”

 

Toyota has always been a leader in engineering and innovation. In this blog post we wanted to give you an overview of their 2015 Fuel Cell Vehicle. If you love reading about scientific achievements, then you’re going to love this post.

The Fuel Cell vehicle uses the same hybrid technology as the Prius, but there’s one difference. It uses a hydrogen and fuel cell stack to get its power. As a result, the only emission from this vehicle is water vapor.

The concept version of this vehicle was displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show. Watch the video above to see a car that’s going to change the world.

 

Julie Hamp, the CCO of Toyota North America, who lost a family member to ALS last year, not only did the popular Ice Bucket Challenge, she put a Toyota twist on it. She used water from the Toyota FCV (fuel cell vehicle), showcasing what this vehicle’s only emissions are. Check out Julie taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in this video.

 

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In a recent drawing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky INC. (TMMK), veteran team member Toby Keith became the recipient of the landmark 10-Millionth Toyota Camry that rolled off the assembly earlier this year.  Like the very first Camry that made its debut back in 1988, this 2014 model is also a white Camry.  The first Camry has been given historical preservation, but it was decided that this 10-millionth model would be presented to a Toyota team member through a random drawing.

Toby Keith has been with the company since the first Camry rolled off the line 26 years go, so it is quite poetic that he should receive this special new model.  Upon hearing of his luck wn, Keith stated that he was most excited to surprise his wife with their new car.

“I’m in shock” Keith said. “I’m going to surprise my wife. She works at the Scott County Library and drives a 2007 Avalon. I’m going to go over there this afternoon, move her car out and park the new Camry in her space. She’s going to scream.”

 

 

Toyota recently announced that it has chosen the Dallas-based architectural firm Corgan as its head architect for the construction of its new North American headquarters in Plano, TX.  This project was originally announced earlier this year with Toyota planning a massive move from its current location in California. They will be combining various headquarter locations into one large centralized campus with around 4,000 employees working there.

 

Corgan is no stranger to large scale projects as it has previously worked on headquarter designs for other large corporations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fossil, Bulova, Southwest Airlines, State Farm  and more.

 

“We are inspired by the challenge to create a facility that will bring Toyota team members and associates from across the U.S. together in one building for the first time, Corgan President and CEO Bob Morris said. It will be an honor for us at Corgan to help welcome Toyota to north Texas by creating a home for them where they will immediately feel comfortable and empowered to do their best work.”

 

This expected completion time for this new headquarters is late 2016 or early 2017.

 

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Thanks to Toyota and American Park Network, free public Wi-Fi is now at six Los Angeles Parks and Beaches. The free service is called Oh, Ranger! Wi-Fi™. It was made possible with the support of the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and is at no cost to the taxpayers.

This program is one small step for internet access in Los Angeles. However, it is one giant leap toward free universal access to broadband internet throughout the city. With the growth of the smart device using market, the demand for Wi-Fi access has grown. Toyota is helping to lead the way toward meeting that demand.

 

Thanks to grants provided by a partnership between the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)  and Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), more than 30 nonprofit organizations around the country will receive funds to help support public lands.  More than $150,000 in capacity building grants are available to help nonprofit organizations make important improvements and maintenance of facilities and programming on public lands.

“It is often difficult to raise funds for strategic planning, communications and technology upgrades, but these activities are vital to the growth and engagement of Friends Groups, ” said Diane Wood, president of the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Land managers at all levels often have thin budgets and limited staff.  Help in the form of grants and donations from nonprofit organizations known as Friends Groups provide much needed support for public lands.  NEEF and Toyota seek to strengthen these organizations so they can serve public lands to the best of their ability.

“We believe stewardship of our public lands starts at the local level,” said Michael Rouse, TMS vice president of diversity, philanthropy and community affairs. “We hope to help local community groups gain traction in caring for millions of acres of public lands and grow as stewards of an important American resource.”

Each group will receive a grant of up to $5,000 for “capacity building.”  The money will be used to serve public lands by  allowing land managers and their staffs to develop communications and websites, software and technology, staff training, fundraising, board development, and strategic planning.

This is the fourth year the NEEF’s Public Lands Program has provided these grants to Friends Groups to support capacity building and events. Proposals for the next round of Public Lands Every Day grants are due by the end of October.

“If a Friends Group can better engage the public, it can attract more volunteers. If it can attract more volunteers, it has a larger base of individuals to ask for support. If it can gain more support, it can offer more volunteer events,” added Wood.

 

Toyota has once again joined forces with The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Paralyzed Veterans of America as the Sustaining Host Sponsor for the 34th National Veterans Wheelchair Games.  The annual games began on Wednesday, August 13 and will continue on until this Sunday, August 17th and this will be the 15th time that Toyota has sponsored this important event.

 

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games are an annual event that any is participated in by U.S. military veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to a serious injury such as  certain neurological conditions, amputations or other mobility impairments or spinal cord injury.  The purpose of the games is to bring these veterans holistic, therapeutic treatments through sports activity.

 

There are a total of 18 events that take place during the games, these events include softball, quad rugby, handcycling, air guns, weightlifting, field, nine ball, basketball,power soccer, archery, trapshooting, a motorized wheelchair rally, track,  bowling, table tennis, slalom, boccia and swimming.

 

“Toyota is very proud of our 15-year relationship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America,” said Mark Oldenburg, Toyota National Fleet Marketing, Mobility and Strategic Planning Manager.  “Toyota is honored to once again be the sustaining sponsor of the 34th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games and support the brave men and women who serve our country and defend our freedom.”

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Toyota has contributed $10,000 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help save national landmarks across the country. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has been able to stop demolition of more than 250 threatened historic sites through its annual 11 Most Endangered Places list.

Toyota presented a symbolic check to National Trust executives at the 2014 National Association of Black Journalist Convention & Career Fair in Boston. “We are honored to accept Toyota’s generous gift to support our work saving the places that tell America’s diverse stories,” said Marita Rivero, chairman-elect, National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Toyota’s slogan, ‘Let’s Go Places,’ appropriately describes what we encourage Americans across this great country to do — visit, enjoy and discover our history. By preserving and celebrating the places that reflect the many layers of our collective history together, we build a more perfect union.”

The privately funded nonprofit organization is the nation’s leading voice for saving America’s historic places. It currently identifies 47 historic sites in its portfolio of National Treasures that the Trust is taking direct action to protect. They promote saving places by taking direct action at a growing portfolio of irreplaceable, threatened places of national significance.