Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Toyota
Toyota to intro flex-fuel Tundra, hopes it will help sales in the Mid-West
The Midwest has not traditionally been one of Toyota's strongest markets although the new Tundra pick-up has been showing good percentage growth in the region. In spite of that growth, total volumes are still pretty low. To try and boost demand Toyota announced earlier this year that they would add a flex-fuel option to the Tundra in 2009. They are doing this in spite of being very critical of corn ethanol which is pretty much the only available type commercially available in the US right now. When the flex-fuel Tundra is introduced Toyota doesn't plan to promote as being particularly green, at least in the short-term. If and when cellulosic ethanol does become widely available, that may all change.
[Source: Wards Auto World]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GreyFlcn 3:43PM (10/21/2007)
They are doing it for the same reason that all the other Trucks are doing it.
For that sweet sweet CAFE loophole which allows their trucks to get even worse mileage.
According the Government Accountability Office, practically all FlexFuel vehicles were designed with the specific intent of leveraging that loophole.
As a consequence, almost all FlexFuel vehicles are Trucks or SUVs
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small-wee-wee 6:22PM (10/21/2007)
Toyota and all the other Auto Alliance members can kiss my fanny.
* BMW Group
* DaimlerChrysler
* Ford Motor Company
* General Motors
* Mazda
* Mitsubishi Motors
* Porsche
* Toyota
* Volkswagen of America, Inc.
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MikeW 8:05PM (10/21/2007)
Call me when it gets a center differential, and new base engines and maybe an 8 speed auto (to go with a higher power V6-supercharged 3.5 perhaps?), Reverse isn't short enought in the LS/GS 460 to use that 8 speed auto as a direct transplant for truck duty.
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Rick 4:10PM (10/22/2007)
Seems like Toyota should spend more time getting the Tundra to operate and run correctly before trying to gimmick their way to mid-western sales.
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Lary G 2:16PM (10/06/2008)
Sounds like Rick is a Ford or Dodge salesmen. Good luck brother.