2021 Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Pricing And Range

2021 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle pricing and range

The totally new 2021 Toyota Mirai fuel-cell vehicle is over $9,000 cheaper than the old Mirai.

The Mirai XLE (base model) will start at $50,455, including the $955 destination charge. If you want the Limited with every option in the book, that'll cost $66,955. One of the premium paint options will add another $425 to either trim. Optional chrome 20-inch wheels are available on the Platinum for an additional $1,120. And the XLE has a Technology Package that adds a 360-degree bird's eye camera, front and rear parking assist w/automated braking and footwell illumination for $1,410.

Device To Prevent Deer-vehicle Collisions Tested

Device to prevent deer-vehicle collisions tested

Researchers are developing a sound-based warning device to prevent deer from being hit by vehicles on the northern Japanese main island of Hokkaido.

Police say there were 3,188 traffic accidents involving deer in Hokkaido last year. One person died and five were injured in these accidents.

Kawasaki Patent Application Describes A Three-wheel Vehicle That Leans

Kawasaki patent application describes a three-wheel vehicle that leans

Kawasaki is working on a unique open-air three-wheeler with a rolling body that can lean into turns, according to a patent application published by the European Patent Office and discovered by Motorcycle.com. 

Like the three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot — which just got an update including a more powerful engine — it seats two people in a side-by-side layout, but it has some key differences. Most notable is the ability to tilt inward into the turning direction, which the applicant says makes it "possible to realize a favorable driving feeling similar to that of a motorcycle or the like." And that's the whole point: to counteract the centrifugal forces that normally push the driver away from the cornering side.

Japan Sees 29% Dip In New Vehicle Sales Due To Virus Shutdowns

Japan sees 29% dip in new vehicle sales due to virus shutdowns

TOKYO — Japan's monthly auto sales dropped to a nine-year low in April, industry data showed on Friday, after a state of emergency called by the government to contain the national outbreak of the novel coronavirus left showrooms deserted.

In the latest indicator of the widening impact of the virus on the world's third-largest economy, vehicles sales fell 29% in April from the same period a year ago to 270,393, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and an association for dealers of Japan's "kei" minicars.

Genesis Brand Tops Lexus In J.d. Power Vehicle Dependability Survey

Genesis brand tops Lexus in J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Survey

J.D. Power is out with its annual U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study for 2020, which looks at problems experienced by owners of three-year-old vehicles. The big takeaways are continued improvement in overall vehicle dependability, with the brands Genesis, Lexus and Buick taking the top three spots, in order. But once again, the usual caveats apply.

Autoblog years ago raised issues with the study, which gives the same weight to matters of subjective likability, such as complaints about pairing their device with the vehicle's Bluetooth or ease of operating the audio system, to more substantive issues like a defective climate system or transmission trouble. J.D. Power continues to tally problems across eight categories, including audio/communication/entertainment/navigation, and despite that being the most improved category, the organization says it still accounts for more problems than any other.

Check Out The Toyota Supra Reimagined As A 4×4 Vehicle

Check Out The Toyota Supra Reimagined As A 4×4 Vehicle

Image credit – Rain Prisk

One of Toyota’s more iconic sports cars, aside from the Celica, is the Supra. Many were no doubt pleased as punch when back in 2019, Toyota announced that they would be reviving the Supra almost two decades after production had ended, but what if the Supra were to be relaunched not as a sports car, but as a 4×4 vehicle?