Toyota Power of Exchange: Building Opportunities for Diverse Suppliers

In Its Third Year, Event Continues to Cultivate New Partnerships in Texas and Beyond

More than 600 attendees at the 2017 Toyota Power of Exchange, held Thursday, July 20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas, had one collective goal in mind: building opportunities.
 
Power of Exchange helps connect diverse companies – minority and women-owned businesses –  with Toyota suppliers in sales, marketing and professional services. Toyota spent more than $3.0 billion with diverse businesses in 2016, and diverse suppliers accounted for over 30 percent of the construction of Toyota’s new headquarters in Plano. Exhibitors at the conference increased nearly 40 percent over last year. 
 
“Toyota Power of Exchange provides a dynamic forum for participants to create meaningful and sustainable partnerships with Toyota’s tier 1 network of suppliers,” said Robert Young, group vice president of purchasing, supplier engineering development and cost planning. “This conference is just one of many ways Toyota is ensuring our supplier base continues to better reflect the diversity of our customers, partners and team members.”
 
The conference is part of Toyota’s supplier development initiatives, which includes the Toyota Opportunity Exchange taking place in November at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI. For more information, visit http://toyotasupplierdiversity.com or http://toyotaopportunityexchange.com.     

Toyota Working on Ultrafast-Charging EV Batteries

Two of the biggest "weak points" with Electric Vehicles is their driving range and battery-charging time. But, according to this Forbes article, Toyota is tackling those issues and EV batteries will be wide-spread technology in just a few years.

Toyota is developing "solid-state batteries with twice the range of today's EVs, while charging only in minutes."

Toyota was the first to develop a main-stream EV with the Prius and continues to lead the industry and now Toyota is leading the way to improve the technology. See the full article HERE and stop by Toyota of Burien to take your new Toyota EV for a test drive!

Concept of 'Co-' Inspires Lexus Design Award 2018 - Now Open for Entries

Continuing its commitment to a better world through design, Lexus International announced today its call for entries for the Lexus Design Award 2018. Launched in 2013, the award is an international platform to identify and recognize the next generation of global creators and designers.  Every year, thousands of young creative talent from around the world aspire to be selected for the final round. Those twelve finalists and their works will be introduced to the design community and beyond at Milan Design Week 2018*, four of which will be mentored by established global designers and given a production budget of three million JPY (over $25K USD) to create actual prototypes.
 
In addition to the unique mentorship opportunity and global exposure, young designers are drawn to the Lexus Design Award by the inspiring theme that provides endless possibilities from a design perspective.  This year’s creative theme for the Lexus Design Award 2018 is "CO-," a Latin prefix meaning with or together in harmony. Lexus believes that great design can ensure the harmonious coexistence of nature and society. In that sense, “CO-" is an approach that allows the brand to explore its true potential and that of the environment by creating new possibilities through collaboration, coordination and connection. Now, young designers get their turn for "CO-" to inspire them to conceive a better world.
 
The judges who assess the designs are globally recognized illustrious creators active in diverse design genres. Additionally, mentorship is provided by esteemed designers who share their know-how and provide hands-on support. They guide the selected candidates to express their full potential through the development of working prototypes of their innovative ideas.
 
Judges and Mentors for the Lexus Design Award 2018 will be announced in August. As in previous years, Lexus will be partnering with a select group of renowned professionals who embody design excellence at the front lines of creativity around the world and who share the brand’s belief that great design can make the world a better place.
 
During Milan Design Week*, all the finalists’ works will be displayed at the Lexus experiential space. Judges will then assess the four prototypes to choose the Grand Prix winner for 2018. Previous winners have gone on to enjoy success and further develop their ideas into viable products.
 
Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 competition will be accepted from July 24 through October 8. For more information on the application process, please visit LexusDesignAward.com. The twelve finalists will be announced in early 2018.
 
* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.
 
Call for Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 Competition
 

Title	Lexus Design Award 2018
Application period	July 24 - October 8, 2017
Theme	“CO-”
Judging criteria	True to the essence of “CO-” with uniqueness in its interpretation. Consistent with the Lexus Design goal of making the world a better place.
Judges	To be announced in August
Mentors	To be announced in August
Award categories	Lexus Design Award 2018 – Twelve finalists · One Grand Prix winner (selected from the four prototype winners) · Four prototype winners (selected from the twelve finalists) · Eight panel finalists
Prizes/ benefits	· Twelve finalists will be invited to Milan Design Week 2018. * · Four winners among the twelve finalists will receive up to three million yen each to cover prototype production costs. The four winners will create prototypes between January and March 2018, through sessions with their assigned mentors. · The four prototypes and eight panels will be exhibited at a Lexus exhibition space during Milan Design Week 2018. · Each of the twelve finalists will be asked to give a presentation at Milan Design Week 2018, after which a single Grand Prix winner will be named from among the four prototypes through final review by the judges.   *Note: Only one person per entry will be invited, regardless of whether the winning works are submitted by an individual or a group.
Organizer	Lexus International
In cooperation with	designboom
Application Process	For more information, visit LexusDesignAward.com

Toyota’s Rally RAV4 clinches championship along with NHRA Mile-High triumph over weekend

Toyota drivers clinched the American Rally Association’s 2WD driver’s championship over the weekend, while Antron Brown claimed Toyota’s third NHRA triumph of the season.

Camry driver Matt Kenseth had the top-finishing Toyota with a fifth-place result in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was won by Kasey Kahne.
 
Kenseth led 21 laps (of 167) to tally his second-consecutive top-five result in an event featuring three red flag periods – including one for nearly two hours caused by heavy rain and track drying – as well as numerous cautions, including three in the race’s closing laps as NASCAR fought off darkness.
 
In addition to Kenseth’s laps led, Camry drivers Kyle Busch (race-high 87 laps led, 34th-place finish), Erik Jones (10 laps led, 31st- place finish) and Martin Truex Jr. (eight laps led, 33rd-place finish) all paced circuits around the 2.5-mile track before being collected in late-race accidents.
 
In total, Camry drivers led 126 laps at Indianapolis – the most of any manufacturer – and Busch won the race’s first two stages as he appeared to have the strongest car in the field after starting from the pole position, but was involved in an accident that took him out of the race before the finish.
 
Camry driver Denny Hamlin was poised for a top-five finish before being involved in a last-lap incident and finished 17th, leaving just two Camry drivers running at the conclusion of the wreck-marred event.
 
Camry drivers Busch and Jones appeared poised for a one-two finish before pitting for tires late in the race and were not able to make their way back through the field to catch eventual race-winner William Byron. While the Toyota teams expected the field to follow them to pit road, the competition stayed out for track position, relegating the Camrys further back in the pack where Busch finished 12th and Jones ultimately finished 23rd, as the 21-year-old driver also received a pit road penalty.
 
Busch led a race-high 44 laps (of 100) in the NXS event before he won the pole position for the MENCS race later that afternoon.
 
In a rare, mid-week race, Tundra driver Matt Crafton was victorious in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway dirt track on Wednesday night.
 
The two-time NCWTS champion led 24 laps (of 150) on the half-mile Ohio dirt track to capture his first victory of 2017 and also earned playoff bonus points by winning the race’s first stage of the evening.
 
“This definitely wasn’t the one that I thought was going to put us in the playoffs without a doubt,” said Crafton from victory lane. “I was looking to come in here and have a top five – a good solid top-five run.
 
“It’s huge,” added Crafton. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always heard about Eldora, and then watching all these guys the last few years put this thing on the fence, and I ran the bottom and I would run in the top five, and then I would fade at the end because the bottom would go away. I just came committed that I’m going to run the top and we’re going to give up our bottom of the race track and not going to be quite as good down there, but I’m going to run the top when it matters. That’s what we did tonight. It was huge. It definitely ranks up there amongst one of the greatest wins I’ve had so far just because it’s something so out of the ordinary.”
 
The result was also Crafton’s 233rd top-10 result in the NCWTS and he needs just one more top-10 to tie Ron Hornaday Jr.’s record of 234 top-10 finishes in the NCWTS.
 
The MENCS and NCWTS will race at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway this weekend, as the NXS heads to Iowa Speedway for a Saturday afternoon race.
 
ARA
Toyota’s Ryan Millen and co-pilot Rhianon Gelsomino clinched the American Rally Association’s 2WD championship just by starting the first stage of the weekend’s New England Forest Rally.
 
By collecting one point when the Rally RAV4 started the event in New Hampshire on Friday, Millen and Gelsomino secured the title with one race remaining on the 2017 schedule.
 
“We just finished the New England Forest Rally and we won,” said Millen, following Saturday’s event. “We’re now the 2WD ARA champions and I can’t thank Toyota, JBL and all the volunteers. We’ve had a great year and I’m super stoked and just so thankful.”
 
Millen and Gelsomino finished seventh overall in the two-day event that began in New Hampshire on Friday and concluded in Maine on Saturday, July 22 while also winning their fifth-consecutive event of the six-race series.
 
The Toyota duo established a dominant points lead entering the year’s fifth event by winning the 2WD class in the season’s first four races and continued their success with a win in the weekend’s event.
 
The ARA concludes its debut season with the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota in August.
 
NHRA
Toyota’s Antron Brown had the advantage at the starting line and never trailed on the way to defeating Leah Pritchett in Sunday’s NHRA Top Fuel final at Bandimere Speedway in suburban Denver. 
 
Brown defeated Scott Palmer in the opening round, and knocked off fellow Toyota driver Doug Kalitta to advance to the semi-finals where he eliminated Brittany Force before winning his final round matchup to claim Toyota’s third NHRA triumph of the season competition.
 
In addition, Cruz Pedregon advanced to the Funny Car semi-finals in Denver as he strengthens his grasp on the final Funny Car playoff berth.
 
The NHRA next competes this weekend in the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals at California’s Sonoma Raceway from Friday through Sunday, July 28-30.

Toyota Recalls Certain Model Year 2016 Avalon Hybrid and Camry Hybrid Vehicles

Please contact us at Burien Toyota if you have questions about your vehicle and to make an appointment to check your vehicle to see if any repairs need to be made.

Toyota Motor North America, Inc., announced that it is conducting a safety recall involving 671 Model Year 2016 Avalon Hybrid and Camry Hybrid vehicles in the U.S.  Among these 671 vehicles, up to 42 are potentially equipped with a misassembled front drive shaft.
 
The front drive shaft assembly in the involved vehicles may have been misassembled. This could cause vehicle vibration and certain components in the drive shaft assembly to separate, resulting in a loss of propulsion while driving and the transmission not holding the vehicle when shifted into the Park position.  A loss of propulsion while driving at higher speeds could increase the risk of a crash.  Additionally, if the driver exits the vehicle without applying the parking brake, the vehicle could roll away with the transmission in Park, increasing the risk of a crash.
 
For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will check the serial numbers of both front drive shafts. If necessary, the drive shafts will be replaced with new ones at no cost to customers. All known owners of the involved vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail starting in early August.
 
Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time.  For the most up-to-date Safety Recall information on Lexus, Toyota and Scion customers should check their vehicle’s status by visiting http://www.toyota.com/recalland entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).  Safety Recall inquiry by individual VIN is also available at the NHTSA site: safercar.gov/vin.  For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus Customer Service at 1-800-255-3987. 

Toyota Research Institute to Bring Disruptive Tech to Market Faster With Toyota AI Ventures

$100 Million initial investment in new corporate venture capital subsidiary to provide early funding to promising start-ups
 
TRI investments in Intuition Robotics (Israel), SlamCore (Great Britain) and NAUTO (Silicon Valley) launch the venture


Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is investing an initial $100 million to launch Toyota AI Ventures, a new corporate venture capital subsidiary designed to provide early-stage financing to startup technology companies.
 
TRI launches the venture by contributing initial investments it has made in three technology companies: Nauto, SLAMcore and Intuition Robotics.  The venture will also cultivate select start-ups by offering them mentorship and support on-site at TRI's Silicon Valley headquarters. Investment will focus in the areas of:
 

• Artificial Intelligence;
• Robotics;
• Autonomous Mobility; and
• Data and Cloud Technology.

 
Toyota AI Ventures will offer TRI the opportunity to collaborate with talented entrepreneurs who prefer to work in a venture business environment.
 
“Toyota has a history of disruptive innovation in the service of mankind, moving from textile machinery to automobiles in the late 30’s, to the broad electrification of the automobile with Prius in the 90’s, to autonomous mobility and human-assist robots,” said Gill Pratt, CEO of TRI. “TRI is growing quickly, and we recognize the critical importance of expanding our collaboration with the world’s brightest entrepreneurial talent. This venture is a major step towards our mission to empower talented entrepreneurs who share Toyota’s commitment to enhancing the quality of human life.”
 
Early-stage start-up investment is inherently high risk, with the potential for high reward, so the new venture will feature quick decision-making by a dedicated management team of investment professionals and entrepreneurs, operating separately from TRI’s R&D operation. Importantly, unlike venture capital funds that exclusively identify investment targets by considering unsolicited pitches by entrepreneurs, this new venture will also pursue a “call and response” model, identifying key research challenges and then supporting the creation of new companies offering to solve them.
 
Jim Adler, TRI’s vice president of data and business development, takes the role of managing director of Toyota AI Ventures.
 
“We realize that we don't have all of the answers. A lot of disruptive technologies come from startups and we want to help them be successful,” said Adler. “One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is knowing if they're building the right product for the right market. We can help them navigate that uncertainty, and we're committed to doing so in a founder-friendly way because their success is our success.”
 
Initial Investments
 
Toyota AI Ventures represents an expansion of TRI’s investment mandate and assumes TRI’s positions in three startup investments:
 
Based in Silicon Valley, Nauto provides a technology system, designed for professional drivers and fleet managers, that monitors drivers and the road environment to prevent collisions, improve driver behavior, and learn from the diverse data shared across its smart cloud network. The Nauto device is packed with AI-powered sensors and mounted inside a vehicle's windshield, where it provides powerful visual context inside and outside the vehicle and collects data that can provide meaningful insights. TRI participated in Nauto’s $12M Series A financing in August 2016.
 
SLAMcore, based in Britain, develops advanced algorithms designed to help technology platforms like autonomous cars, drones and AR/VR systems to simultaneously build a map of their surroundings and position themselves within it. Critically, SLAMcore approaches this challenge with a core focus on power efficiency, a crucial factor for autonomous mobility applications given the need to maximize the power available for locomotion. TRI participated in SLAMcore’s seed financing in March 2017.
 
Israel-based Intuition Robotics is a leader in the development of social companion technology, including its ElliQ active-aging robotic companion. The company’s technology is designed to positively impact the lives of millions of older adults by connecting them seamlessly with family and friends, making technology accessible and intuitive, and proactively promoting an active lifestyle. TRI participated in Intuition Robotics’ $14M Series A financing in May 2017.
 
More information on Toyota AI Ventures is available at http://Toyota-AI.ventures.

Toyota Impact Grant Provides Mobility for Homeless Women and Children in Collin County

Newly created collaborative to implement program for self-sustaining independence

 Toyota, in partnership with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, along with its formal grand opening today, announced the winner of its $1 million Impact Grant. In Collin County, there are approximately 3,000 women, many with young children, who are homeless. This is in stark contrast to an area where many large companies are locating and thousands of new homes are being built. The grant is intended to implement a program aimed at creating self-sustaining independence for these homeless women and their children. The grant-winners are a part of the newly formed Collin County Mobility Collaborative.
The winners group currently includes Agape Resource and Assistance Center, Family Promise of Collin County, Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, and Shiloh Place of McKinney.
 
“We created this grant to encourage collaboration among nonprofits with a focus on pressing mobility issues in North Texas,” said Al Smith, group vice president, Social Innovation, Toyota Motor North America.  “This holistic program aims to empower homeless women and their children to overcome crisis and poverty, helping them gain both physical and upward mobility.”
 
Announced in January to engage the community in North Texas, the grant initiative ties into Toyota’s national focus of mobility for all.  It aims to empower like-minded partners to collaborate on physical and/or social mobility issues in the local community.
 
The multi-pronged program includes efforts to:

• Provide safe and stable housing;
• Assist with reliable and affordable transportation;
• Facilitate childcare and youth development; and
• Improve earning capacity through education, job training, certification and job placement.

 
The grant is a joint initiative between Toyota Motor North America and Toyota Financial Services, administered in partnership with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and provides funds over a two-year period.
 
“By combining resources and sharing expertise, we can achieve greater collective impact to improve the lives of these women, their children, and generations to come,” said Karen Ideno, vice president of product, marketing, corporate social responsibility and communications, Toyota Financial Services. “We look forward to working with the collaborative, applying assets beyond dollars, to make a difference right here in our new backyard.”
 
Applicants, whether non-profit, academic, social entrepreneurs, or others, were to submit unique ideas to help create new solutions to existing problems through collaboration. United Way was part of the independent panel and process to review the applications for the grant. The grant’s terms required two to five collaborative partners to come together to solve complex issues.
 
“Solving complex community challenges requires much more than investing in a single program,” said Susan Hoff, chief strategy, impact and operations officer, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Strong collaborations, such as the Collin County Mobility Collaborative, provide a multi-faceted approach to addressing pervasive and devastating issues through both direct services and systemic interventions.  United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is proud to partner with Toyota to identify effective solutions that will make a lasting difference for families.”
 
Collin County Mobility Collaborative was selected from more than 40 applications, representing approximately 150 nonprofits, academic institutions and social entrepreneurs.
 
“Despite the rapid growth of Collin County, there are many women and children in need,” said Janet Collinsworth, founder & executive director, Agape Resource and Assistance Center. “Our approach taps into the strengths of each of our organizations, providing a holistic approach that addresses housing, transportation, childcare, education and support services.  Through this effort our hope is not only to empower these women, but also to create a model of collaboration with a program that can be replicated.”

About Toyota Financial Services
TFS is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota in the United States, offering retail auto financing and leasing through Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and Toyota Lease Trust. TFS also offers extended service contracts through Toyota Motor Insurance Services (TMIS). Lexus Financial Services is the brand for financial products for Lexus dealers and customers. TFS currently employs approximately 3,100 associates nationwide, and has assets totaling over $119 billion. It is part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. We announce material financial information using the investor relations section of our website (www.toyotafinancial.com) and SEC filings. We use these channels, press releases, and social media to communicate about our company, our services and other issues. While not all information we post on social media is of a material nature, some information could be material. Therefore, we encourage those interested in our company to review our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/toyotafinancial. 
 
For the past three consecutive years, Points of Light has named TFS one of its Civic 50, the most community-minded companies in the nation.  For more information about the company’s support of financial empowerment, youth development programs, and other community initiatives, please visit www.tfsinthecommunity.com.

Toyota Presents Highlander Hybrid to NCLR Community Leader

Presentation at NCLR Annual Conference as part of Juntos Somos Imparables Inspirational Campaign

For decades, El Concilio, a non-profit community-based social service organization, has worked to improve the quality of life of Latinos and other underserved communities in California’s Central Valley. Now, El Concilio’s efforts will be enhanced through the help of Toyota.
 
El Concilio was presented with a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid at the 2017 National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference and National Latino Family Expo. The award was part of Toyota’s national inspirational campaign Juntos Somos Imparables, now on its fourth stop on a national tour. The campaign features an experiential art installation designed to inspire the Hispanic community.
 
“The new car will enable our organization to expand community outreach and facilitate transportation for the one-on-one visits to patients in rural areas and those that face mental health challenges,” said Vanessa Hernandez, case manager for Latino Behavioral Health of El Concilio said.
 
Since 1968, El Concilio has provided service to help create self-sufficiency through counseling, referrals and education. The organization also offers a wide range of programs from a preschool program, to a health access transportation program, and rural home visit program.
 
“Organizations such as El Concilio play an important role in improving quality of life in rural areas through mobility, providing necessary resources and helping people connect to vital services,” said Adrienne Trimble, general manager, Diversity & Inclusion, Toyota Motor North America. “Recognizing those who help to make our communities better and inspire us is why we began our Juntos Somos Imparables campaign earlier this year, and  El Concilio is an excellent example.” 
 
The Juntos Somos Imparables exhibit features values such as “courage” and “perseverance” on license plates. Participants select a value they embody and write the name of the person who instilled that value, and replace the license plate on the wall. The result is a collective mural of those who have inspired the Hispanic community.
 
“This unique exhibit provides an uplifting message that reminds us of those who have made a difference in our lives,” stated Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the NCLR. “By sharing inspirational stories, we encourage the next generation to dream bigger. We thank Toyota for its strong commitment to the Latino community, and its long-standing partnership with NCLR.”
 
Conference attendees are encouraged to share their inspirational story in the Toyota booth area, and to post their experiences under the hashtags #SomosImparables and #VayamosJuntos. Toyota’s celebrity spokesperson, five-time National Emmy Award winning journalist, Neida Sandoval will be on hand to share her own inspirational story and to encourage everyone to celebrate their Juntos Somos Imparables stories.