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Barely Believable Car Tip of the Week: Banish back-road dirt

In many rural areas, so-called oil roads (some unpaved, others semi-paved) are sprayed with oil to control blowing sand and dust. If you find yourself driving along one of these back roads, your windshield may end up coated with oily grime. To cut through the muck, sprinkle cream of tartar over the windshield, and then wipe the glass down with soapy water, rinse well, and dry.

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Happy Summer Solstice! Today is one of the longest days of the year, and a perfect day for car shopping. So come on down to Spitzer Toyota Monroeville to test drive some cool cars!

Can a Toyota Prius power a house?

V2H, or vehicle-to-home, systems could turn the car in your driveway into a backup generator.

Future cars will be getting most of their energy from wall sockets, which means that more electricity will be drawn from the grid. However, that does not mean that tomorrow’s car will be just another energy-sucking appliance. Toyota is testing a system that will allow its Prius plug-in hybrid to power a house.

The Prius plug-in can recharge its batteries through an outlet, like a fully electric car, but it still has a gasoline engine for backup power. Toyota reckons that this engine can also generate electricity for a Prius owner’s house during power outages or periods of peak load.

An inverter converts the DC used by the Prius’ electric motor into AC for household use. Software allows the car, house, and charging stand to monitor the flow of current back and forth. The company estimates that a Prius with a fully charged battery and a full tank of gas can power the average Japanese house for four days.

Toyota says this new system will produce greener electricity by drawing it from the grid (or gas tank) at the best times. “With this new method, low-carbon electricity generated from regional or home solar generators, or low-cost late-night electricity, can be stored in a vehicle’s drive battery and then used to supply power to the household during peak consumption times,” the company said in a statement.

Toyota also said that V2H (vehicle-to-home) systems like the one being developed for the Prius could power emergency shelters during a disaster.

The company will begin testing the Prius V2H system in 10 Japanese homes by the end of 2012. If the test is successful, Toyota could move on to developing apps that would allow homeowners to control the flow of power between their cars and houses with smart phones.

Courtesy of DigitalTrends.com

Toyota Names Julie A. Hamp as New Chief Communications Officer for North America

Toyota today announced that Julie A. Hamp will join the company as chief communications officer for North America, effective June 25. In this role, Hamp will have primary responsibility for coordinating Toyota’s public relations efforts in the region while leading the company’s cross-affiliate communications team including members from Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMA), Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc. (TMS) and Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA).

She will report to Jim Lentz, president and CEO of TMS and senior vice president of TMA, and will be based at Toyota’s campus in Torrance, California.

  “Julie is a proven communications leader with a wealth of knowledge and experience both inside and outside the automotive industry,” said Lentz. “We are thrilled to have her leading our communications and public relations efforts to enhance and promote Toyota as we continue to gain momentum in the marketplace.”

Hamp joins Toyota from PepsiCo, where she served in a global role as chief communications officer and senior vice president of consumer relations.  Prior to joining PepsiCo, Hamp held several leadership positions at General Motors with primary responsibility for marketing/brand communications and public relations for North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

“I am looking forward to joining the talented communications team at Toyota, a company known for high quality products, best in class manufacturing and innovation,” said Hamp. “Toyota has a significant presence in North America, employing more than 37,000 people and operating 14 manufacturing plants in the region; and I am excited to take on this role to help contribute to the success of this great company.”

Hamp will succeed Jim Wiseman, who had previously announced his retirement effective at the end of June. Wiseman, who has had a 23-year career at the automaker, served as Toyota’s first CCO for North America, named to the position at the beginning of 2010.

  A native of Queens, NY, Hamp received a B.S. in Communications from Ferris State University. Her post-graduate studies include participation in the GM-Harvard Business School Executive Development program with an emphasis on Asian studies.

Courtesy of Toyota Media Newsroom

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