The Car Exam News #19: Toyota and Tesla in the news

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No more Japanese Corollas in foreign markets?

No more Japanese Corollas sold abroad? Automotive News is reporting that Toyota may end exports of its Corolla model out of Japan. This may happen in 2013 and may be done because of the overall healthy strength of the Yen, Japan’s currency.

Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com) 10/14/10

Toyota and Tesla To develop an electric Rav4

Toyota and Tesla further cement their bond: Business Week reports that Tesla and its partner in electric vehicles, Toyota, signed a $60 million dollar contract to develop and electric version of Toyota popular Rav4 SUV. This comes after Tesla and Toyota announced back in July of this year that they would co-develop an electric version of the RAV4.

Source: Business Week (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IR3OMO3.htm)

P. Scott

The Car Exam News #15: Move over, Ford Fiesta: the 2012 Focus will have its followers, and the Focus will also get 40 MPG?

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First the “Fiesta Movement”—now a “movement” for the Focus?

Move over, Fiesta. The Focus will get its own movement: Automotive News is reporting that Ford will market the upcoming 2012 Focus in a similar manner in Europe as it did the Fiesta with the “Fiesta Movement” here in the United States last year. 100 people will be selected to drive the new Focus for two days sometime in early 2011. The participants will write blogs and post videos to Facebook, just as the Fiesta Movement participants did last year.

Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com) 9/30/10

More Focus news: The 2012 Ford Focus to achieve 40 MPG?

Fuel Economy watchers, take notice: the Detroit Free Press reports that Ford claims that the 2012 Focus will achieve 40 miles-per-gallon on the highway. This hasn’t been certified by the E.P.A. yet, so those numbers are not official right now. If Ford’s claim is indeed true, the 2012 Focus will beat the current highway fuel economy numbers of its main competition: the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, and more.

Source: The Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/article/20100930/BUSINESS01/9300398/1331/BUSINESS01/Ford-says-Focus-will-get-40-m.p.g.-) 9/30/10

P. Scott