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Green Image Backfire?: Toyota Targeted By Environmentalists
Never mind that the Toyota Prius is popular with environmentally conscious motorists -- some environmentalists still wonder if Toyota is living up to its image as a green automaker.

Environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, are challenging Toyota Motor Corp.'s opposition to strict fuel economy standards pending in Congress, a position the Japanese company shares with General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.

During the past two weeks, about 8,300 NRDC activists e-mailed faxes to the company urging Toyota to support a Senate energy bill that would set a 35 mile-per-gallon requirement by 2020.

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Green Image Backfire?: Toyota Targeted By Environmentalists



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r15mohdr15mohd - 10/4/2007 11:49:05 AM
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so instead of attacking the companies that don't do enough to help greenhouse conditions, they butcher the ones who are striving to acchieve the best they can out of it!

very smart...the more they attack toyota, the more toyota gets stronger and makes it that much harder for the competitors to get on par with their technology.

my question to Ed Markey is why doesnt he drive another hybrid vehicle if he doesnt like the market share that toyota puts their products into?


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JWalkerLegrandeJWalkerLegrande - 10/4/2007 2:40:44 PM
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What exactly makes Toyota a green company ? They stuff extra lead acid batteries into small cars and sell them by millions...

Has anyone heard about Toyota bio-diesel development, research into fuel cells or hydrogen powerplants ? Is there a Toyota engine running on E85 ? Must be me but I feel they are the most misleading car manufacturer in the world.


zairnaimzairnaim - 10/4/2007 5:36:19 PM
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toyota is researching fchv fuel cell hybrid vehicle


motomoto - 10/5/2007 2:48:27 AM
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Actually, it's Toyota's recent decision to join the big 2.1 US automakers' lobby (the AAMA) in trying to stop new vehicle fuel economy regulation (which hasn't been improved since the mid-1980's) that is causing people to question Toyota's dedication to the environment.

Sure, Toyota truly is among the cleanest manufacturers in terms of total pollution per vehicle, cradle-to-grave. But when this "green" company advertise the superior economy of its "hybrid synergy drive" to the public while lobbying the US Congress to not improve fuel economy standards, that smacks of hypocracy. While Americans can tolerate ignorant war-mongering nincompoops, they just can't stand "flip floppers".


r_driver04r_driver04 - 10/5/2007 9:24:26 AM
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Maybe he can't afford one.


answeranswer - 10/4/2007 11:52:14 AMView My AgentSpace
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Negative Toyota story. Why didn't 009 post this?

Oh wait..

Side note, if what the Subaru ads proclaim is accurate about their "green" factory, that is pretty impressive.

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mmeeccmmeecc - 10/4/2007 11:59:47 AM
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I agree, not called for. Toyota is a far greener company than most.
Give credit where credit is due.

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1970toyotamarc1970toyotamarc - 10/4/2007 12:16:08 PM
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Toyota has ben on the forefront of backing higher CAFE standards. Thats fine for NRDC to send the faxes, but they are preaching to the choir. Please post both sides of this story, 009. Check out Toyotablog (I'm not sure the precise web addy) for statements directly from Toyota on this issue.

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enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 10/4/2007 1:40:12 PM
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actually toyota is on the same side of the fence as the big three...

"Environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, are challenging Toyota Motor Corp.'s opposition to strict fuel economy standards pending in Congress, a position the Japanese company shares with General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC. "

by the way, it's honda that leads the way in overall fleet economy.


1970toyotamarc1970toyotamarc - 10/4/2007 3:00:26 PM
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first, the only reason Honda leads Toyota (which is a close second) is because Toyota is a full line mfr. Toyyota's passenger car fleet is the most efficient. But they also make trucks, trucks by the way that have relatively decent mpg and good emissions compared to others in their classes.

second, do some research. Toyota has led the way toward a reasonable increase in CAFE standards, just not the higher standards that NRDC wants. Toyota likely could meet thsoe higher standards, but it is a responsible member of the auto mfrg community as well as the environmental community. It therefore takes positions that sometimes veer towards more environmentally favored, and sometimes toward more industry favored. Most of the reason that Toyota is backing a somewhat lower CAFE increase is that they know that the rest of the industry cannot meet those standards.

NRDC is just using Toyota (again) as an easy target to rile up its members. All the power to them exercising their first amendment rights. However, a little research into this issue uncovers a lot more truth than you will find posted here.


enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 10/4/2007 1:42:32 PM
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toyota is trying to have it both ways....

they build a prius.

and then build massive tundra, land cruisers, LXs etc with huge V8 engines.

be honest kids, they're in it to make money not to do anything good for the world. that's why they're fighting higher CAFE standards along with all the other auto companies.

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Will_Will_ - 10/4/2007 2:26:06 PM
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The fundamental goal of all business is to make a profit, as I believe it should be.

Let's look at GM:

No Prius.

A whole line-up of massive Tahoes, Escalades, Suburbans, etc. with huge V8 engines.

It's sad that the people who actually try to change a way of living are always the first ones to be criticized, instead of the other people doing nothing.


izfuneyizfuney - 10/4/2007 2:13:33 PM
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Fighting CAFE standards ? Simply put, Toyota does NOT want higher CAFE standards to squeeze out the the remaing two American manufacturers... They are very leery of being seen as the ones that pushed the sword into GM.
The environmentalists can scream murder, but if GM or Ford come apart the econimic repercussions from the rust belt will be horrendous.

Frankly, I think the environmentalists need to get real .. There is no way we can build sprawl (subrubia ) that consumes huge amounts of energy as people move into McMansions and not have SUV's . I mean, there are enviromentalists who think nothing of a heated pool in their backyard but would cry murder if somebody had a full size SUV to haul their kids around.

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toolatetoracetoolatetorace - 10/4/2007 10:54:53 PM
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Well said , Izfuney, Toyota is starting to feel like an illegal iimmigrant in this country, rightfully so. They want to take over auto manufacturing in this country and they don't care how many jobs are being displaced doing so . Now they want to take over NASCSAR and win American's hearts by teaming up with the all american Joe Gibbs Yes it does seem that Toyota is being picked on alot like Wal Mart gets picked on by the goverment for probably the same reasons .


cericceric - 10/4/2007 3:17:09 PM
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Honda is the company that desires respect.
Honda refuses to make V8 (that that they couldn't - look up the Indy V8 Honda produced) because it does not comply with their green image. Toyota is always driven by profit and market share (not in that specific order).
Honda is now making V10 to show off its technology and create a halo effect on its product offerings. However, you know that Honda is not going to sell a lot of cars with V10 (NSX, V10 RL), so it does not impact the overall rating. Still, you will see that Honda will not make V8 in high volumn production vehicles for years to come. V6 Diesel is that way they are heading for heavy vehicles.



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Matthew1Matthew1 - 10/4/2007 7:49:40 PM
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Stop using that same old picture!

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r_driver04r_driver04 - 10/5/2007 9:30:35 AM
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The SUV market is still luke warm and the only way Toyota can still participate in that gas guzzling market is to also build very frugal cars to offset their trucks. Toyota is definitely at the forefront of hybrid tech.

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