The continued rise in gasoline prices as well as tighter rules on vehicle emissions are reviving automakers’ interests in alternative fuels specifically compressed natural gas or CNG. Toyota revealed plans to expand its line of alternatively-powered cars aside from the Prius by unveiling a new Camry Hybrid that will run on compressed natural gas rather than gasoline.

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Toyota overtook General Motors in sales for the first six months of 2008, selling 4.82 million vehicles compared to GM’s 4.54, a gap of over 280,000 vehicles. This isn’t the first time that Toyota threatens GMs spot as the king of global car sales. Last year, the Japanese automaker also led GM in global sales at the half year mark but GM managed to ease in a slim win – fewer than 4,000 cars and trucks – to retain its top spot by year end.

However, this year, it is increasingly likely that GM will succumb to second place for the first time in the face of rising gas prices, sagging consumer confidence and over-reliance on SUVs and trucks – vehicle segments that buyers in its most important market, the US, are now shunning.
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Riding on a high wave of demand for more fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota is planning to produce a new hybrid-only model to the tune of 100,000 units a year. The planned hybrid will be Toyota’s second dedicated hybrid model after the popular Prius. While the Prius features a 1.5 liter gasoline engine, the new hybrid model will feature a 2 to 2.5 liter engine. It will join the ranks of other hybrid models in Toyota’s lineup including the Prius, Camry Hybrid, and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will also offer a rebadged version of it under the luxury brand Lexus, which is also currently producing a line of hybrid vehicles such as the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid and the RX Hybrid.

If you drive a 1995 Honda Civic, you better employ better anti-theft solutions because this popular model is America’s most stolen car for 2007, according to ‘Hot Wheels’, a report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau based on information from the National Crime Information Center. The ’95 Civic is followed by another Honda model, the 1991 Honda Accord in the list.

The 1989 Toyota Camry was the third most stolen vehicle while the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. Other domestic models were the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, all trucks. Rounding out the top ten perennial favorites of car thieves were the Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Pickup and the Toyota Corolla.

According to the NICB, the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent year to year. Thieves continue to prey on these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.

To protect your cars from thieves, NICB recommends a ‘layered approach’ by using simple, low-cost solutions to make vehicles less vulnerable to carjackers. These four layers are: common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device and a tracking device. Common sense means locking the car and taking the keys with you.

Using a warning device or alarm is also an effective deterrent. The third layer encourages the use of an immobilizing device that will prevent the vehicle from being driven such as a smart key or fuel cut off. The fourth layer is the use of a tracking device that law enforcement officers can use to track and recover a stolen vehicle.

Another victim of high fuel prices, the next-generation Lexus SC has been canceled by Toyota while plans for the replacement Toyota Avalon Sedan might also be shelved. The SC is having a very low sales record, moving only 1,230 SC 430 units in the first six months of this year, down more than 40% from a year ago. A new version of the Lexus SC had been in the drawing boards and was supposedly slated for production in early 2009 but was pushed back to mid-2011; now it has been canceled according to Toyota insiders.

Meanwhile, Toyota is also mulling whether to cancel the planned replacement of the Camry-based Avalon which is slated for production in early 2010 in the automaker’s Kentucky plant.

This should probably be what Toyota is feeling at present for the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 has just taken home an accolade during the British Insurance Car Awards. See, this vehicle has been chosen as the top vehicle in its category – the large 4×4. This awards event is part of a move that is aimed at making consumers more aware of the best vehicles that offer the best security. This has been running for four years already and this year, it was held in Thatcham Berkshire’s Motor Insurance Repair Research Center.

Peter Roberts is the head of Thatcham’s research center and he mentioned, “Manufacturers are continuing to keep ahead of the criminal fraternity – committing resources to the development of highly sophisticated systems to keep cars secure. Many car thieves are just having to give up – thanks to the industry’s continued quest to drive down car crime.”

Kudos to you Toyota!

A factory that would be responsible for producing batteries for hybrid vehicles is the new project that Toyota Motor Corporation would be having with Matsushita Electric Industrial Company. In an announcement, they said that such move is actually to be able to supply what the market demands for fuel-efficient rides because of the prices of fuel have gone increasingly up.

Together, Toyota and Matsushita would be investing $193 million so as to be able to complete creating the new factory. This is according to a statement from Yasue Kato, Toyota’s spokesperson. The plant would be creating nickel-hydride batteries which would possibly be used in some of Toyota’s hybrids like the popular Prius. Matsushita though is quite happy with the partnership for its spokesperson, Akira Kadota, declared, “We will cooperate with Toyota on expanding the joint venture.”

Atsushi Kawai is Mizuho’s Investors Securities Company’s senior analyst and on this change, he shared, “The new plant is necessary for Toyota to meet the sales goal.”

Changchun City in China’s Jilin province may soon be the home of another Toyota Motor Corporation facility. News reports state that the company is still working on the plans and if this pushes through, the plant would be the second Toyota facility in that province.

Toyota has been looking at the possibility of building a new facility so it can produce more units of its Toyota Prius hybrid. The company currently has a small plant which is in-charge of producing the mentioned model. Toyota is looking at an estimated 100,000 units as the capacity of the new plant.

The reports also continued that the new facility in Changchun would cost the company $468 million. That investment would allow the company to build a plant which would have the capacity to produce 100,000 units each year starting 2010.

However, a spokesperson from Toyota has denied that they are working on such a plan.

A leaked “global master plan” revealed Toyota Motor Corp.’s plan: to take a 14% share of the world car market by 2010. The report by the Wall Street Journal said that Toyota, currently the second largest global automaker, is on track to overtake GM as the world’s biggest car maker by grabbing 14% of the global automotive market, up from 11% in 2005.

The plan expects that Toyota’s global auto ales will reach 73 million vehicles by 2010. In 2005, Toyota sold over 65 million vehicles worldwide. To meet this burgeoning demand, the report said Toyota will increase production its plants in China and India. A new minicar that is geared towards families in developing countries is supposedly also in the works.

Meanwhile, Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco declined to comment on the supposed plan adding that the Toyota has no concrete plans yet to offer a new minicar model. However, he confirmed that Toyota is indeed targeting developing markets including Russia, China, India and Brazil.

Rumors reached fever pitch that Toyota is set to green light its futuristic Endo supermini, when the tiny concept car was spotted during testing in Japan. The Endo is Toyota’s answer to the Smart fortwo. It amazingly offers space for four passengers, including the driver, in its compact size. The stubby looking concept debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Other unique features of the Endo include a vertical tailgate, wrap-around windscreen, two-tone body work and doors that hinge away from the car’s body to improve access to the cabin. The concept car even featured an avant-garde flat screen dashboard. However, if the Endo will indeed see production, it will have to be in a more conventional approach to keep the costs down. As for now, the Endo production model is expected to hit the markets as soon as 2007. Or will it? We’ll see next year.