Toyota i-Road - Replace your Valk?

[Titan]

Just kidding. Nothing can replace a Valk.

This thing is interesting but I just don't think any battery powered vehicle is ever going to be really successful until they can get more range out of them. Any "vehicle" that can't go further than 30 miles without plugging it in is nothing but a toy. I guess I find it interesting because of the computerized leaning system. That's just the motorcyclist in me.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/03/04/toyota-road-concept-takes-bow/?intcmp=features

[Patrick]

Well, if it's made by Toyota then I don't want anything to do with it !

[cookiedough]

Well, if it's made by Toyota then I don't want anything to do with it !

Why?  Toyota and Honda are based out of Japan and you drive a Honda cycle don't you?

I was all for the big 3, namely GM, until the govt. bailout in 2007-2008 came about.   With what GM is doing shipping jobs all overseas and even into China,  I'd be more inclined to support Toyota and Hyundai and other so-called 'foreign' mfgs. since they are at least employing Americans to work in the U.S.

[Patrick]

Why?  Toyota and Honda are based out of Japan and you drive a Honda cycle don't you?

I was all for the big 3, namely GM, until the govt. bailout in 2007-2008 came about.   With what GM is doing shipping jobs all overseas and even into China,  I'd be more inclined to support Toyota and Hyundai and other so-called 'foreign' mfgs. since they are at least employing Americans to work in the U.S.
end quote


You haven't read or don't remember my other posts about Toyota, or, GM for that matter. I have no use for either company. I also don't think Honda and Toyota have much to do with each other so I guess I don't understand your comment other than country of origin which has nothing to do with my comment.

[cookiedough]

sorry Patrick I don't remember your posting on Toyota or GM previously.

My point is if GM or Toyota or Honda or whomever had a vehicle I wanted and liked and thought was reliable and fit my needs,  I would buy it regardless of mfg., although less inclined to buy from Dodge or GM since the govt. bailout came about.

The days of being loyal to one car mfg. for life are long gone IMO.

So many good choices out there in certain models regardless of mfg. it is hard to pick from sometimes. 

[MCRIDER]

Well, if it's made by Toyota then I don't want anything to do with it !

Why?  Toyota and Honda are based out of Japan and you drive a Honda cycle don't you?
I'd be more inclined to support Toyota and Hyundai and other so-called 'foreign' mfgs. since they are at least employing Americans to work in the U.S.

http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/

[hubcapsc]

Y'all have convinced me... I'm getting an American made one. What does Ford call theirs?

-Mike 

[Hooter]

Well, if it's made by Toyota then I don't want anything to do with it !

At least the Valk says: "made in the U.S.A.".

[Jeff K]

Well, if it's made by Toyota then I don't want anything to do with it !

At least the Valk says: "made in the U.S.A.".

Not all of them do

[Skinhead]

I am not aware of a single job GM has shipped to China.  They have opened several assembly plants in China in order to SELL vehicles in China.  This is to avoid the high tarriffs that would otherwise result. 

On another note:

GM to Hire 1,000 High Tech Employees in Phoenix

CHANDLER, Ariz. – General Motors is hiring 1,000 high-tech employees to staff an Information Technology Innovation Center in this Phoenix suburb, joining Austin, Texas; Roswell, Ga., and Warren, Mich., as the centerpieces of GM's strategy to bring high-value IT work in house in support of the business transformation underway.

GM expects to hire more than 4,000 new information technology workers over the next three to five years to staff the four centers. So far, more than 1,000 employees have been hired for the three locations previously announced. 

"Recruiting talented IT professionals is intensely competitive," said GM Chief Information Officer Randy Mott. "To hire the best and the brightest, we need to create employment opportunities that differentiate our company from the competition – location is one such advantage."

GM chose the innovation center locations by looking at IT talent-rich areas that also offer a strong community, lower cost of living and a high-tech industry presence.

"Operating four IT Innovation centers geographically dispersed across the U.S. allows us to offer employment opportunities to hundreds of thousands of IT professionals, over 75 percent located within a 500-mile radius of any one of the centers," Mott said.

Four of five students majoring in IT at higher education institutions in each state are within a three-hour drive from a GM IT innovation center. Combined, the four centers have access to more than 7,000 students at more than150 colleges and universities majoring in information technology-related fields. GM will target recruitment efforts at up to a dozen key universities within each of the four geographic regions.

The Innovation Centers support all aspects of GM's business. The talent-based hubs of excellence accelerate the development and implementation of innovative IT solutions for existing and future business. 

GM is specifically looking to hire talented IT professionals with a range of capabilities, including software development, database administration, and system analysts. Innovation Center employees will support all of GM's IT needs, including web technologies, end-user applications and systems, dealer systems, factory systems and vehicle technology.

Effective April 1, GM will open a temporary center and begin hiring in Phoenix until its permanent building in Chandler is completed. The new Innovation Center is expected to be operational by first quarter 2014. Interviewing for jobs will begin immediately. Interested candidates can apply for positions at http://jobs.gm.com/

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM's brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

[old2soon]

31 mile range and 28 M P H. 3 hrs to recharge. MAYBE IF i lived in a major metropolitan area-but most likely not. RIDE SAFE.

[R J]

Gee thats strong words for a vehicle.

Wife is on her 3rd Toyota, 150K on the 3 and no problems, just tires and oil changes.   Sorry that the engine builder for the Nascar Toyota's blew 3 engines all in the front runners.     He will get it right some day.

I've driven Dodge's since the late 1950's and about all of the 1960's, and some of them were butt busters.    440 Cubic inch with 6 carbs, in a Barracuda.

Then a 440 Wedge with staggered Dual Quad's in a Plymouth Belvedere to name a few.  The best one for control was a 440 CI dual Quad, in a Chrysler Newport.
You could put that thing into a curve at 90 and come out of it at 120 with very little effort on the steering wheel.   That was how we caught a lot of the runners.  Couple of different guys trying to elude us, asked later what we had for engines.   They were supposedly running some big old Ford or Chev engine.

We run the pee waddin out of those cars and then they gave us Ford Crown Vic's.  You want a piece of crap, that is the 1st on the list.

Had an AMC Red, white and Blue one, finally painted Black and white with the big badge on the side.   It was a 401 CI. and you could wrap it out in the gears, get into 4th gear, hit the brakes and slap in it 2nd, pop the clutch and it would pop at least 2 or 3 jugs.    We drove the AMC people crazy on that till they happened to catch us doing it.       Chief ended that.    They also had to change the driving school manual on that.    Mopar's would take it.....

We had some good Mercury's and a bunch of nail head Buick's that weren't worth putting on th street.      Get in a chase, for any distance and it would burn holes in  couple of jugs of the Buicks.     We told the mechanics they were too lean and they all blew us off.     I've forgotten how we finally got it through their head the Buick's were way tooooooo lean.      I know they boosted the main jets from like 80's to 160's or larger.   2 years later Buick didn't submit a bid.    That opened the door for Mopar..........

[cookiedough]

Well, if it's made by Toyota then I don't want anything to do with it !

Why?  Toyota and Honda are based out of Japan and you drive a Honda cycle don't you?
I'd be more inclined to support Toyota and Hyundai and other so-called 'foreign' mfgs. since they are at least employing Americans to work in the U.S.

http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/

that article is false.  There are dozens of Honda and Toyota, etc. vehicles with more American made parts than the big 3 along with being made in the United States.  For example, my Toyota tundra is made in San Antonio Texas and has more American made parts than Dodge or GM pickups and as much as Ford F-150 pickups as well well over 70% American made parts. 

Here is a very valid video on how GM is moving stuff overseas both jobs and mfg.   It states 70% of GM vehicles are NOT made in the United States, among other very upsetting facts:

General Motors is becoming China Motors

[hotglue #43]

WQW that got off track fast...LOL

31 miles, top speed 28 mph.....  that would git ya run over around here...

[Jess Tolbirt]

i just bought a new tacoma,, it had a sticker on the window that said less than 10% of the parts used on this truck is of foreign origin.. my truck was made in San Antonio, Tx.