Toyota Ramping Up 2010 Tundra Production
This news is a little old, but it’s good to hear: Toyota is oficially ramping up production of the 2010 Tundra.
Bob Carter, general manager of Toyota Division, said, “We see a turnaround coming.” The company will therefore increase North American production by 65,000 units over the previous plan for the three-month period. Toyota will increase the production of six of its most popular models: the Camry, Corolla, Sienna, RAV4, Tacoma, and Tundra.
The question before us – how many of these “extra” 65k vehicles will be Tundras?
The UAW is Poised For Growth – Are Toyota, Honda, and Nissan Ready?
For years, casual observers of the auto industry were quick to point to the UAW as a source of trouble for GM, Chrysler, and Ford. Tales of do-nothing jobs banks and $70/hour compensation were the source of a popular disdain for the UAW and unions in general, and the UAW found it very difficult to attract new members in this climate.
Today, things are quite a bit different. While it says here that the UAW wasn’t perfect, anyone with a real knowledge of the auto industry will acknowledge that the UAW deserves only a part of the blame for the meltdown of GM and Chrysler. The fact is, terrible management, poor quality, and poor designs were the primary sources of GM and Chrysler failure.
The UAW hall in Bowling Green, Kentucky (pictured) might be the most important union battleground of the 21st century.
The good news for the UAW is that all of this is behind them now. The UAW is now more likely than ever to recruit Toyota, Honda, and Nissan workers over the next 2 to 5 years. Here’s why: Read more…
Is Toyota Already Selling The H.D. Tundra?
Toyota Tundra fans have been waiting on pins and needles for an “H.D. Tundra”, or heavy-duty Tundra, ever since Toyota announced they were working on a 3/4 ton Tundra back in 2005. Originally promised to follow soon after the light-duty Tundra (the current model), our sources are now saying that Toyota won’t be introducing an HD Tundra anytime soon…if at all.
That’s right – it’s far from certain that Toyota will ever produce a 3/4 or 1 ton Tundra. As of July 2008, we felt the HD Tundra was at least five years away. Today, we’re wondering if Toyota is ever going to produce a 3/4 or 1 ton Tundra. Perhaps the market for H.D. trucks is going to shrink so much that Toyota’s current light-duty truck is “heavy duty enough.”
In other words, what if Toyota is already producing the H.D. Tundra? Read more…
After-Market Truck Wheels – Materials and Methods Explained
When choosing a wheel for your truck, sometimes the number of different options can seem overwhelming. Not only are there many different designs and brands to choose from, but the way the wheels are manufactured, and the material used, are important as well. This article deals with common materials and manufacturing methods – we’ll have something on wheel finishes a little later.
Here’s a break-down of common wheel materials and manufacturing methods:
Steel wheels are great for trucks because they're cheap and strong.
Steel wheels are the most basic and inexpensive type of rims available. Steel wheels are usually stamped out by a press in two different pieces and then welded together. This makes them easy to repair, which isn’t usually a major concern because steel is a very strong material. Of course, steel is also very heavy. The large un-sprung weight of steel wheels can have a significant negative impact on suspension performance, not to mention acceleration and fuel mileage. Read more…
The Case for the Plug-in Electric Pickup
Plug-in electric cars are on the way. Both mainstream automakers and boutique brands are aiming to capitalize on the growing desire amongst drivers to wean themselves off gasoline. While gasoline / electric hybrids have been around for years, the idea of a pure electric vehicle – one which runs exclusively off of a battery and must be recharged by plugging in to a standard electrical socket – is for many the ultimate goal of the hybrid revolution.
While automakers are developing plug-in hybrids, it’s important to note that most of the plug-in hybrid vehicles being introduced are sedans and coupes – not trucks. Automakers have yet to embrace the concept of a plug-in pickup, and some green types are using this fact to argue that the days of big pickups are over. However, the fact is many people need a truck for work and/or their daily lives. So why haven’t automakers started producing plug-in pickups? It’s not size…at least not completely.
Where is the Electric Toyota Tundra?
Pickups are big, and their larger dimensions might seem to be the reason that automakers aren’t producing hybrid versions. After all:
- Most hybrid electric vehicles on the market are small.
- It takes a more powerful electric motor to get a big pickup rolling.
However, size isn’t really the problem…kind of. Read more…
