Toyota has (so far) elected not to sign on to the California fuel standards. Many of its competitors- like Honda- already have. As you know, the Trump Administration is working to relax fuel standards. I wrote to Toyota urging them to sign on, but got the reply below, saying they will not sign and only believe in national standards. While national standards would be nice, in this case, the ONLY way to force that standard will be through California. We all know this administration will not yield to wishes of automakers, environmentalists or consumers. Toyota was one of a handful of automakers that agreed to meet with Trump- and apparently had no influence whatsoever. Please urge Toyota to force The President's hand by signing the California standards. Contact them through their corporate website. (I guess I'm not allowed to post a link?) They must decisively and publicly denounce The Administrations' rollback. For me, any future Toyota purchase hinges on it. The (lame) reply from Toyota below: We are passionate about improving emissions and fuel economy standards and our leadership in electrified vehicles serves as a proof point of this commitment. We have, and continue to, pursue an outcome supported by the auto industry at large, the Federal government and the State of California. We believe a ONP (One National Program) approach is optimal for the consumer, regulators and the industry as it simplifies regulations and reduces complexity and cost, which are critical to ensuring future standards can be met.
Great idea! Dear Toyota, We owned Toyotas since 1991 for superior fuel efficiency and safety. March 2019 we traded in our last Toyota, a Prius Prime, for a safer, affordable Tesla Model 3. Our Tesla is half the cost per mile both highway and city of our former Prime. I had to fly to Rhode Island to buy the Prime to get TSS-P that your 2016 Prius ECO did not have. Hands-on experience revealed Tesla AutoPilot is vastly superior to TSS-P in lane keeping, dynamic cruise control, and changing lanes. When Toyota headquarters were in California, you got to breath days when the air was a reddish, brown haze trapped by the mountains. Failing to agree with California standards makes Toyota complicit which the failing Mirai sales does not cover. Bob Wilson
This has gone totally sideways. The rule when dealing with Federal regulations is the State can be more restrictive than the federal rule, but not less. For the Federal government to challenge the state on more restrictive standards is just wrong. What is happening??
I'm with Toyota. The last time I checked the Democratic Peoples Republic of California was not the Federal Government.
if i'm reading it correctly, the feds are saying states don't get an exemption from the law to make an agreement with manufacturers
Toyota already agrees to meeting more stringent emission standards in order to sell in CARB states, and they already pay for that separate testing. Agreeing to a fuel economy standard that is slightly lower than the old federal one isn't a technical issue for them. It does threaten profits because it makes it harder for them to use the US as a dumping ground for outdated technology. Yhe Prius is a great all around car, and their hybrid system is solid, but models that sold in greater numbers were equipped with older, less efficient technology, like 4 speed transmissions and outdated valve controls, for years after competitors, and Toyota themselves in other markets, upgraded. Doing so let Toyota squeeze more profit out of old factory tooling. California had a waiver to green house gas emissions from 2013. The government now wants to end it. Revised US fuel economy standards will reportedly end California waiver - Roadshow
I rather see the fees from the states charged to alt fuel vehicles limited, regulated or banned at the fed level
Toyota really should sign. The only chance that their fuel cell foray might pay off is if higher fuel economy standards drive consumers to more fuel efficient vehicles.
A fuel cell vehicle is not particularly energy efficient, and is certainly not inexpensive to operate. $80 to go 220 miles in a Clarity fuel cell in California. 36 cents per mile vs about 7 cents a mile for a Prius.
