Toyota Reveals Refreshed 2016 Avalon Including Hybrid Version

Toyota Reveals Refreshed 2016 Avalon Including Hybrid Version

Today Toyota unveiled its midcycle refresh of its Avalon including the hybrid version.
Unwrapped at the Chicago Auto Show, the fourth-generation vehicle that was all-new in 2013 gets styling updates while leaving powertrain intact.
Under the hood of the hybrids is A 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine paired with electric drive netting 200 horsepower. Efficiency is 40 mpg combined which compares favorably to V6 models netting 24 combined.

 
New for the 2016 Avalon is a retuned suspension, new LED headlights and tail lights, more convenience features, and of course, the latest look.
The Avalon Hybrid comes in five grades of V6 and hybrids come in three separate grades, from XLE Plus to XLE Premium and Limited.

 All models get wider lower front grille with narrow upper grille, new turn signals (replacing fog lights), chrome rear bumper accent, and gray accent stitching with light gray interior.
New standard features on XLE and XLE Plus grades include redesigned 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-inch Entune Audio Plus screen, woodgrain dash trim, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
Technology upgrades for the XLE Premium include Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite and the Qi Wireless Charging as standard.
The “performance-tuned” Avalon Touring adds to its sporty styling and standard are new 18-inch dark gray painted alloy wheels, sporty front fascia, new LED headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and a “Touring” badge.

The vehicle comes with a host of electronic safety including radar assisted crios and blind spot detecton.
It shares characteristics with the Lexus ES 300h, and it and the Camry Hybrid all share variations of the same hybrid powertrain.
Pricing was not announced but will be closer to release later this year or the fall.

Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron Plug-in Hybrid: Best Buy For Holding Value Over Time?

Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron Plug-in Hybrid: Best Buy For Holding Value Over Time? 

 When it comes to residual values for new cars, finance companies and buyers alike have been particularly cautious about all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Relatively new to the market, most plug-in cars are purposely given low residual value predictions by market research firms unsure of both the long-term outlook for plug-in vehicles and (generally unfounded) worries that a car’s expensive lithium-ion battery pack may lose capacity and therefore useful range.

 

 

Even though residual value predictions have improved for electric and plug-in hybrid cars over the last four years, they’re still generally low, resulting in high lease payments and/or higher interest rates for customers wanting to make the switch. And while some cars — like the Tesla Model S for example — now come with guaranteed resale values, newer models with longer-range capabilities mean that plug-in cars aren’t retaining their value.
But now German automotive magazine Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke have proclaimed that Audi’s A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid is the current model year compact car most likely to retain its value over the next four years. This accolade has earned it the 2015 Wertmeister — or ‘Value Champ’ award in the compact car segment in Auto Bild’s annual residual value survey.
With a predicted residual value of 57.3 percent four years after purchase, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron beats off plenty of other competitors in the compact car segment, both plug-in and non plug-in. In total, more than 40 different cars from 14 different automakers were considered across 15 different categories.
Based on the same Volkswagen MQB platform as the rest of the 2015 Audi A3 and 2015 Volkswagen Golf family, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron features the same plug-in hybrid drivetrain found in the Volkswagen Golf GTE.

That equates to a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine mated with a hefty 80 kilowatt electric motor and a six-speed s-tronic dual clutch gearbox. Combined, the car is capable of producing 204 brake horsepower and 256 pound feet of torque, and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 7.6 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 137.9 mph.
Married with an 8.8 kilowatt-hour lithium-on battery pack, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron can also drive on electricity alone, managing around 30 miles in electric mode at sensible speeds (less at higher speeds) before needing to fire up its engine. Recharging takes two hours from a standard Type 2/Level 2 charging station capable of providing 3.3 kilowatts.
It’s this all-round capability which seems to have won the day for Audi in terms of residual value. While it has an electric battery pack to allow for electric-only operation, the Audi A3 e-tron’s gasoline engine means it can still be driven even if the on-board battery pack isn’t capable of the 30-mile range it could when new after four years of hard driving.
In the past few years, we’ve noticed a similar trend among other plug-in cars: electric cars like the Nissan LEAF seem to suffer the highest depreciation, while plug-in hybrid models are less likely to sting the original buyer after a few years of use.
In the case of the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron however, its performance edge, everyday practicality, normal-looks, luxury name badge and high fuel efficiency are  enough to ensure that it beats many more quirky plug-in cars.
So if you’re looking to buy a plug-in car that will keep its value, perhaps you need to think about an A3 e-tron too.

Toyota Europe Aiming For 100 Percent Hybrid Battery Recycling

Toyota Europe Aiming For 100 Percent Hybrid Battery Recycling

Toyota’s hybrid vehicle battery life tends to be a lengthy one and the automaker is stepping up its efforts to recycle them.
The hybrid batteries used in Toyota and Lexus models can last longer the vehicles themselves, so often they are only recovered when the cars reach the end of their useful life, or if they have been involved in an accident.
Toyota already has a battery collection rate of more than 90 percent, but said it is now widening its strategy and targeting a 100 percent recuperation result.
The company stated in Europe, Toyota and Lexus dealers receive a new hybrid battery in exchange for an old one, leading to an average 91 percent collection rate.

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has set itself the challenge to increase this figure to 100 percent, through its own network and, additionally, through any authorized end-of-life vehicle treatment operators.
To support this, the company has announced an extension of its current battery recycling agreements until March 31, 2018.
Since July 2011, the France-based Société Nouvelle d’Affinage des Métaux (SNAM) has been recycling nickel-metal hydride (NiMh) batteries, as used in the Prius, Auris Hybrid, Yaris Hybrid and all Lexus hybrid models.
Additionally, since August 2012, Umicore NV, based in Belgium, has handled lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which are used in the Prius+ and Prius Plug-in models.
“When our customers buy a hybrid, they already know that they are in for outstanding fuel efficiency, a stress-free driving experience and a reliable car,” said Steve Hope, Toyota Motor Europe General Manager Environment Affairs. “This is yet another reason for a hybrid purchase, as we can ensure their car excels in its environmental performance throughout its lifecycle.”
Used hybrid batteries are still mainly destined for recycling, added Toyota, but TME has started to research options for the remanufacture of NiMh batteries, potentially giving them a second life as a vehicle or a stationary energy source.
Stationary batteries can potentially store surplus renewable energy, for example as an emergency back-up, or cheaper, or help manage fuel costs by storing cheaper, off-peak electricity