PLANO, Texas, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Vehicle connectivity, electrification, new forms of mobility and mobility services, and autonomous driving technologies are driving new opportunities for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). 

With an eye on enabling agility and scale, TMNA is creating a new Digital Transformation & Mobility pillar, which will be led by newly appointed Chief Digital Officer Zack Hicks. Hicks will report directly to TMNA CEO Jim Lentz. Hicks also will continue in his role as President and CEO of Toyota Connected. 

Effective April 2, functions reporting to Digital Transformation & Mobility will include:

• Information Services, led in the interim by TMNA Chief Information Officer Zack Hicks
• Connected Technologies, led by Vice President Steve Basra
• Future Mobility Business Group, led by Group Vice President Chris Tinto

The teams will focus on areas such as shared mobility, connectivity services and over-the-air feature upgrades to identify new business models and future opportunities.

“Digital Transformation & Mobility brings together three integrated teams who can focus on new business innovation, voice of customer excellence and digital product development,” Hicks said.

“As Toyota transitions from a traditional car company into a global mobility company, we are focused on how we can better suit our customers’ needs now and in the future,” said TMNA CEO Jim Lentz. “Bringing these mobility functions together under Zack’s leadership gives us the ability to collaborate in unprecedented new ways.” 

About Toyota 
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 36 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 47,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.).  Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.7 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2017 – and about 87 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.   

Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to assist more people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.  

About Toyota Connected, Inc.
Based in Plano, Texas, Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) was established in 2016 to drive Toyota’s global efforts for an intelligent mobile society. With big data collected from vehicles and analyzed on a cloud platform, TCNA humanizes the driving experience by freeing customers from the tyranny of technology via secure, seamless and contextual services, elevating the customer experience while benefitting dealers, distributors, and partners. Analyzing traffic patterns, driver behavior and connecting drivers with infrastructure and other information is only part of TCNA’s work that will open new services and products to keep the car as a beloved companion.

Media Contacts:
Eric Booth 
469-292-5290 
[email protected]

Karen Nielsen 
469-865-2659 
[email protected]

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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America

NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Acura will hold the world debut of the all-new 2019 Acura RDX and RDX A-Spec, in production form, at the 2018 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) and via live-stream on March 28 at 12:15 p.m. ET. The third-generation RDX, launching mid-2018, is the first in a new generation of Acura products featuring the brand’s new design language, Precision Cockpit inspired premium cabin and groundbreaking True Touchpad Interface™. 

The reveal will feature the 2019 Acura RDX along with the new RDX A-Spec, the first application of the sport appearance variant to an Acura SUV. This third-generation Acura RDX marks the return of Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD^®) to the RDX lineup, and pairs it with a powerful new 2.0L VTEC^® Turbo engine, segment-first 10-speed transmission and NSX-inspired Integrated Dynamics System, making it the quickest and best-handling RDX ever.

The 2019 Acura RDX was designed and developed in America for the first time, styled by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California and developed by engineers in Raymond, Ohio. The new RDX will be produced at the company’s East Liberty, Ohio plant, while its new VTEC Turbo engine will be manufactured in Anna, Ohio¹. The Acura RDX has sold more than 50,000 units each year since 2015², maintaining its position in the premium-entry SUV segment as a perennial top-seller.

For More Information
Additional media information including pricing, features and high-resolution photography is available at AcuraNews.com. Consumer information is available at Acura.com. Follow Acura on social media at Acura.us/SocialChannels.

About Acura
Acura is a leading automotive luxury nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance, representing the original values of the Acura brand – a commitment to evocative styling, high performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability.

The Acura lineup features six distinctive models – the RLX premium, luxury sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan, the ILX sport sedan, the 5-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, the seven-passenger Acura MDX, America’s all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV and the next-generation, electrified NSX supercar as a new and pinnacle expression of Acura Precision Crafted Performance

¹ Using globally and domestically sourced parts

² Based on Autodata sales for the Entry Premuim CUV segment for individual calendar years 2015-2017.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652923/All_New_2019_Acura_RDX.jpg
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SOURCE Acura

PLANO, Texas, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Toyota Connected North America, the global technology strategy business unit for Toyota, today announced a multi-year partnership with Avis Budget Group, a leading global provider of mobility solutions, that will add 10,000 Toyota vehicles to Avis Car Rental’s expanding fleet of connected cars. Avis Budget Group will utilize Toyota’s proprietary Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) to enable greater operational and rental fleet efficiency while creating a more seamless rental experience for customers. 

“At Toyota Connected North America, we are leveraging the power of data science to develop and deliver new mobility services that create new value for businesses and customers alike,” said Zack Hicks, chief executive officer and president, Toyota Connected North America. “Toyota’s mobility services platform will provide Avis Budget Group with enhanced connectivity and visibility into their fleet, and bring travelers increased control and convenience over their rental experience.”

The Toyota vehicles will deliver increased benefits to Avis customers by tapping into Toyota’s proprietary MSPF, a suite of advanced software and connected services that support mobility businesses. The platform’s telematics data API (application programming interface) will enable customers to receive real-time rental information via the Avis mobile app, which includes virtual odometer readings and fuel levels, and will assist them in locating the vehicle. The connected services provided by the telematics interface will also allow for greater fleet management capabilities, improve informatics, and enable shorter vehicle check-in and check-out processing times.

Toyota’s MSPF is already being used to support a range of businesses and test programs, including car share programs, use-based car insurance pricing, and fleet management. Servco Pacific Inc., the distributor of Toyota vehicles in Hawaii, is currently using MSPF to launch a new Honolulu-based car share business through an application developed and managed by Toyota Connected North America that supports driver identification and authentication, plus payment and fleet management. Getaround, a San Francisco-based, peer-to-peer car-sharing company, is leveraging MSPF and connected car technology to allow drivers to seamlessly and securely rent, locate and drive Toyota vehicles with a Smart Key Box (SKB) that lets users lock and unlock vehicles and start the engine via a smartphone.

About Toyota Connected North America
Based in Plano, Texas, Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) was established in 2016 to drive Toyota’s global efforts for an intelligent mobile society. With big data collected from vehicles and analyzed on a cloud platform, TCNA humanizes the driving experience by freeing customers from the tyranny of technology via secure, seamless and contextual services, elevating the customer experience transparently while benefitting dealers, distributors, and partners. Analyzing traffic patterns, driver behavior and connecting drivers with infrastructure and other information is only part of TCNA’s work that will open new services and products to keep the car as a beloved companion.

Media Contacts

Brian Lyons
(469) 292-3573
[email protected]

Ming-Jou Chen
(469) 292-3799
[email protected]

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/495464/Toyota_Connected_Logo.jpg  

SOURCE Toyota Connected North America

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, March 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A thrilling late-race battle for victory ended in disappointment for Robert Wickens, and a second consecutive Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg win for Sebastien Bourdais, as Honda drivers and teams swept the season-opening round of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series.  Honda drivers claimed the top six finishing positions and eight of the top 10.

Four Honda drivers led 105 laps of the 110-lap contest Sunday on the 1.8-mile downtown St. Petersburg circuit, with Wickens dominating at the point for a race-high 69 laps.  But a late-race restart on Lap 108 gave the second-running Alexander Rossi an opportunity to mount a challenge for the lead.  The pair of Honda drivers made contact in Turn One, with Wickens spinning and making light contact with the outside wall.  An opportunistic Bourdais used the opening to jump from third to first, and claimed the victory as the race ended under caution. 

A hard-charging Graham Rahal used all 110 laps to climb from last in the starting field – due to a spin in qualifying – to finish an excellent second; with Rossi recovering from his own slide following the contact with Wickens to complete the victory podium in third.

In a wild race that featured eight caution flags for a total of 21 laps, there still were 366 on-track passes in the race, a record for St. Petersburg.  Honda drivers dominated the top 10, with James Hinchcliffe [Schmidt Peterson Motorsports], Ryan Hunter-Reay [Andretti Autosport] and Scott Dixon [Chip Ganassi Racing] claiming fourth through sixth, respectively, and five Honda teams represented in the top six.  Ed Jones finished eighth in his first race with the Ganassi team and Marco Andretti took the checkers in ninth for Honda and Andretti Autosport.

Race day got under way with Arie Luyendyk Jr., star of the most recent season of The Bachelor, giving new fiancé Lauren Burnham a ride around the St. Petersburg circuit in the Honda “Fastest Seat in Sports” two-seater Indy car.  Indy legend Mario Andretti then took Burnham for a second ride, this time at the head of the 24-car field, during the parade laps leading up to today’s race start.

Video recaps from this weekend’s Honda IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg are available on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV. 

The Verizon IndyCar Series next heads west to ISM Raceway near Phoenix, Arizona, for the Desert Diamond Phoenix Grand Prix, the first Saturday night short-oval race of 2018, which will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network at 9 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 7.

Sebastien Bourdais (Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda) started 14^th, finished 1^st, second consecutive St. Petersburg victory, 37^th career Indy car win, sixth victory for the Dale Coyne Racing organization: “This is emotional, because I was able to come back from a few broken bones [suffered in his crash at Indianapolis last year] to this victory circle. I couldn’t be any happier for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan, SealMaster and everybody…all the boys. They worked so hard. It’s a tiny group, but they work their tails off. We didn’t have the fastest car today, but we had consistency and we pulled it together. We were going to get a podium today, which was awesome. I was really happy for Robert [Wickens] and kind of heartbroken for him.  But for us, it is just such an upset. I can’t quite put it into words.”

Alexander Rossi (Andretti Autosport Honda) started 12^th, finished 3^rd:  “We started going for the win [leading to the contact with Wickens]. The ‘overtake’ [push-to-pass button] was active. Had a run on Robbie, and he missed the overtake and then went on through the marbles in a big way and I did everything I could to pull it up. Obviously, you don’t want that to happen in the race. They [race officials] briefly talked about how you can’t move and react in the drivers’ meeting.”

Robert Wickens (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda) pole qualifier, led a race-high 69 laps before contact ended his race: “I didn’t want to defend too hard because there were so many ‘marbles’ offline.  I figured if Alexander [Rossi] wanted to go there, go for it. I gave him space around the outside. I braked late [for Turn 1], I made the corner, and then we had some contact.  Obviously, it put me into a spin into the wall. Not the way I imagined the day going for me, or my Lucas Oil guys. It was all a little bit confusing because I was told on the radio we were going green but they didn’t turn the lights off the pace car. So I didn’t get the best restart, probably my worst one of the whole day. I just need to see everything before I comment [more]. At the end of the day, when you are running up front the entire race and then you don’t finish, it doesn’t matter how your day goes, you never want that to happen.”

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s season-opening Honda sweep: “That was a great way to start the season! It’s always nice to see all the hard work put in by the HPD associates rewarded after a very busy off-season.  Congratulations to Sebastien Bourdais for his repeat victory at his hometown event; to the Dale Coyne organization, and to new Honda team co-owners Jimmy Vasser and James Sullivan.  Also congratulations to Graham for his run from last at the start to second at the checkers.  I feel bad for Robbie [Wickens] after such a dominant performance.  He clearly proved that he and the entire Schmidt Peterson Motorsports group are going to be a force to be reckoned with going forward.”

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652887/Sebastien_Bourdais.jpg 
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SOURCE Honda Racing/HPD