Tag Archives: Toyota

News

Toyota Faces Explosive Allegations Over Mirai Hydrogen Sedan

Toyota, the automaker that helped define modern reliability, now finds itself at the center of a lawsuit that reads more like a crime novel than a consumer complaint. A new class action filed in California accuses Toyota of running what plaintiffs call a “criminal enterprise” designed to hide serious safety defects in its hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan. The requested damages? A staggering $5.7 billion.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by the Ingber Law Group, the 142-page complaint invokes the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) — the same law once used to dismantle the mob. The suit alleges that Toyota, its financing arm, and several California dealerships engaged in a coordinated cover-up of what technicians reportedly described as “ticking hydrogen bombs.”

Hydrogen Dreams Turned Headaches

According to the filing, Toyota and its hydrogen partners concealed multiple flaws in the Mirai, including potential hydrogen leaks near hot engine components, posing an explosion risk. The plaintiffs also allege repeated instances of sudden power loss, erratic acceleration, and braking failures.

One Mirai owner reportedly pressed the brake pedal only for the car to surge forward. Others described multi-second delays between hitting the throttle and any response from the powertrain — a terrifying experience in traffic. In at least one case, dealership technicians allegedly told customers to seek legal action after experiencing repeated failures.

Adding insult to injury, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation, the company’s financing arm, is accused of “aggressive financial collection tactics” against affected owners. The suit also points to the limited and unreliable hydrogen refueling network in California, which remains the Mirai’s only viable market.

A Hydrogen Meltdown in Torrance

The complaint highlights a particularly damning episode at a Torrance, California, hydrogen station, which allegedly dispensed contaminated fuel that left at least 75 Mirais permanently inoperable. Plaintiffs claim Toyota failed to disclose the issue publicly, instead burying affected vehicles and compensation claims under corporate bureaucracy.

“This lawsuit isn’t about a simple defect — it’s about organized fraud,” said lead attorney Jason M. Ingber in a statement. “Toyota engineered, financed, and controlled California’s hydrogen network, then used that control to hide safety failures and financial harm to consumers.”

The RICO Angle: From Mobsters to Motors

Originally written to prosecute mafia bosses, the RICO Act allows plaintiffs to argue that a corporation engaged in a pattern of criminal activity. In this case, the lawsuit suggests Toyota operated a white-collar version of organized crime, using its corporate ecosystem — dealerships, financiers, and fuel partners — to disguise safety risks and protect profits.

The proposed class includes all Californians who purchased or leased a 2016–2025 Toyota Mirai in the past four years. Plaintiffs claim Toyota “ingeniously concealed catastrophic safety defects so their fraudulent scheme remains undetected.”

A Hydrogen Story Hollywood Never Wrote

If this all sounds like a sequel to Who Killed the Electric Car?, that’s because Hollywood never got around to writing the hydrogen one. For now, the Mirai remains a niche symbol of Toyota’s zero-emission ambitions — but this lawsuit could turn it into a case study in how not to launch an alternative-fuel future.

Toyota has not yet filed a response to the complaint. The company previously touted the Mirai as a technological triumph — the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell sedan — and a key part of its long-term carbon-neutral strategy.

But if even part of the lawsuit’s explosive allegations prove true, the Mirai’s future could look far less like a vision of tomorrow and far more like a cautionary tale about overpromising technology before the world is ready to fuel it.

Source: Reuters

News

Toyota’s Solid-State Revolution: The Future of Performance EVs Is Closer Than You Think

By 2028, Toyota might just rewrite the rules of electric performance. The Japanese automaker has confirmed that its long-awaited solid-state battery (SSB) technology will finally reach production—and the first car to wear this next-generation power source will be a high-performance EV.

For years, solid-state batteries have been the holy grail of electric mobility: smaller, lighter, and vastly more energy-dense than the lithium-ion packs powering today’s EVs. They promise dramatically longer range, faster charging, and less degradation over time—all while reducing the environmental toll of production and disposal.

Toyota’s been chasing this breakthrough for nearly a decade. Now, according to Keiji Kaita, president of Toyota’s Carbon Neutral Engineering Development Centre, the company is “sticking on schedule” to put the first SSB-equipped model into production by 2027 or 2028.

“For the all-solid-state battery, the characteristic is high power, compact and long range,” Kaita said at the Tokyo motor show. “The cars will leverage these attributes.”

Why Solid-State Matters

Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries that rely on liquid electrolytes, solid-state packs use a solid ceramic material to transfer ions between the electrodes. The payoff? More power and range in a smaller footprint, with the added benefits of improved safety and longevity.

Toyota claims its prototype SSB can triple driving range, double power output, and last four times longer than current EV batteries. The company has already tested packs capable of delivering up to 745 miles on a single charge—numbers that could make even today’s most efficient EVs seem obsolete overnight.

But range is only part of the story. The compact dimensions of SSBs allow engineers to rethink vehicle proportions entirely. With thinner floor-mounted packs, designers can lower rooflines and seating positions, reclaim interior space, and craft sleeker silhouettes that were once the sole domain of supercars.

A Supercar Launchpad

That’s why the first Toyota SSB model won’t be a commuter crossover—it’ll be a halo performance machine. All signs point to the upcoming Lexus electric supercar, a spiritual successor to the LFA, as the technology’s debut platform.

With an ultra-low stance and lightweight structure, the Lexus EV will reportedly serve as a battery-powered sibling to the V8-engined Toyota GR supercar that’s also in the works. If the rumors hold true, we could be looking at a dual-pronged attack from Toyota: one celebrating combustion’s last stand, and the other ushering in a new era of electric performance.

When pressed for details, Kaita played coy. “Whether it will be a Lexus or Toyota, we will leave that to your imagination,” he teased.

Greener, Longer, Smarter

The benefits of solid-state go beyond speed and range. According to Toyota, the technology could cut the total carbon footprint of an EV battery by up to 75%—thanks to longer lifespans and cleaner production processes.

“We will try to reduce the carbon footprint, and the key here is reducing the CO₂ output in manufacturing the material,” said Kaita. “But the most important thing is producing a battery whose life is longer.”

A longer-lasting pack not only means fewer replacements, but also less waste—a major step toward Toyota’s broader goal of carbon neutrality across the product life cycle.

The Road Ahead

Toyota’s chief technology officer, Hiroki Nakajima, confirmed that solid-state batteries could, in theory, slot into the company’s existing EV platforms—offering the same range in half the space. However, he hinted that SSBs will shine brightest in new, dedicated architectures designed to fully exploit their advantages.

Meanwhile, for more mainstream models, Toyota is developing a next-gen lithium-ion battery with a lower height and innovative packaging. This version, showcased in the sleek Corolla EV concept, helps lower the center of gravity while freeing up interior volume—proof that efficiency and style don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Toyota’s patient, methodical approach to solid-state batteries might finally pay off. If the company can deliver on its promise—a high-performance EV with 700+ miles of range, supercar agility, and long-term sustainability—it won’t just be catching up to Tesla or Porsche. It’ll be redefining what an electric vehicle can be.

And if the first car to carry that technology happens to wear a Lexus badge, we may be witnessing not just a new battery, but the rebirth of Japan’s most iconic supercar spirit—this time, powered by electrons.

Source: Toyota

NEW CARS

Toyota Century Coupé: Japan’s New Crown Jewel of Luxury

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota didn’t just pull the wraps off a new car—it unveiled a statement of intent. Meet the Century Coupé, a striking grand tourer that ushers in Toyota’s newest standalone luxury brand, simply named Century. This isn’t a Lexus in a tuxedo or a concept designed for applause; it’s a declaration that Japan can play in the same ultra-luxury sandbox as Bentley and Rolls-Royce—and perhaps even teach them a few tricks about restraint, craft, and grace.

The coupé joins the Century Saloon, a fixture of Japanese statecraft since 1967, and the Bentayga-sized Century SUV revealed in 2023. Together, they form the trinity of a new marque positioned as the “pinnacle of the Toyota Group portfolio.” Gone are the Toyota badges—this car wears only the phoenix crest, long a symbol of the Century’s stately heritage, now reborn as an emblem of a luxury brand in its own right.

A New Chapter for Japanese Luxury

Century will sit alongside Toyota’s other divisions—Lexus, Daihatsu, Gazoo Racing—but with a very different mission. Lexus will chase the upper-premium market, dabbling in experimentation with wild concepts like the six-wheeled LS and the single-seat Micro LS. Century, on the other hand, is Toyota’s new Rolls-Royce, dedicated to hand-built, deeply personal, low-volume automobiles that express Japanese omotenashi—a philosophy of meticulous hospitality and craftsmanship.

“Since 1967, Century has represented not only the best of Toyota but the best of Japan,” said Simon Humphries, Toyota’s global design boss. “Its mission now is to take that celebration of human craftsmanship out into the world.”

Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s chairman—and the man whose fingerprints are all over this project—put it more personally: “I want to cultivate it as a brand which brings the spirit of Japan out into the world.”

Design: Elegance with a Hint of Drama

Details remain scarce, but what’s clear is that the Century Coupé is no timid derivative of European GTs. Roughly the size of a Bentley Continental GT, it rides a little higher and carries a presence all its own. The proportions are classic grand tourer—long hood, short deck—but there’s a quiet sense of purpose to every line, as if it was carved rather than drawn.

The biggest surprise? Sliding doors. Yes, you read that right. Instead of the usual two-door sweep, the Century Coupé employs motorized sliding panels, a daring nod to Japanese practicality and theater alike. The concept allows effortless ingress and egress, particularly in tight city spaces, but also creates what Toyota design chief Ian Cartabiano calls “a sense of drama and excitement that defines a modern luxury car.”

“When those doors dramatically swing open, what an entrance you’re going to make,” Cartabiano said. “Never has it been easier to exit a coupé with so much style and grace.”

Inside, the three-seat layout sets the tone—one seat up front, two in back—balancing intimacy with opulence. The cabin reportedly fuses analogue tactility and digital precision, a blend that feels quintessentially Japanese: a handcrafted interior designed around the idea that simplicity can be the ultimate luxury.

The Spirit of Japan, Reimagined

There’s still no word on powertrains, performance, or even whether the coupé will make it beyond concept form. But the message is unmistakable. The Century brand isn’t chasing performance benchmarks or Nürburgring lap times—it’s chasing meaning. In a market where excess often overshadows essence, Toyota’s most traditional nameplate may end up being its most forward-thinking.

The Century Coupé is more than just a new chapter—it’s a love letter to Japan’s quiet confidence, recast in metal, wood, and light. And if this is the future of Japanese luxury, Bentley and Rolls-Royce might soon find themselves bowing in respect.

Source: Toyota