Toyota Stories September 24
Bloomberg: Toyota agrees to bring Android Auto support to future vehicles
Infotainment systems like Google’s Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay have turned into a major consideration for new car buyers in recent years. Unfortunately for many, though, some car makers have been slow to adopt these options, especially Google’s option. Now, it appears Toyota is finally giving in…
Toyota Stories April 18
Privacy concerns keeping Toyota from implementing Android Auto
These days, it’s hard to find a car manufacturer that doesn’t support Android Auto in at least some of its different models. But one significant holdout is Toyota. Speaking at a Toyota first-drive event, a company representative said this is due to privacy concerns…
Toyota Stories May 27, 2016
According to a report from Tech Insider today, Google is nearing a deal with Toyota to sell its Boston Dynamics robotics division to the car maker. This follows a report from two months ago suggesting that Alphabet was planning to sell the division known for its super-creepy animal-like and human-like robots due to lack of a ‘marketable product’ in the next few years…
Toyota Stories March 17, 2016
Before former Android head Andy Rubin left Google, he headed up Google’s robotics efforts. In 2013, Google acquired numerous companies and added 300 robotics engineers. The crown jewel was Boston Dynamics, already known for their animal- and human-like robots. However, Bloomberg is now reporting that Alphabet is selling Boston Dynamics.
Toyota Stories January 6, 2016
Given Google’s apparent lead in driverless car technology, you might imagine that the tech giant has notched-up the greatest number of patents in the field, but Reuters says that this isn’t the case. A detailed analysis of patent filings for autonomous car technology shows that car manufacturers are way out ahead, with Google only taking 26th place.
Toyota is, far and away, the global leader in the number of self-driving car patents, the report found. Toyota is followed by Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH, Japan’s Denso Corp, Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co and General Motors Co. The tech company with the most autonomous-driving patents, Alphabet Inc’s Google, ranks 26th on the list.
Toyota has more than 1,400 patents in the field, twice as many as second-placed Robert Bosch …
Toyota Stories February 23, 2015
Toyota has “no plans” to offer Android Auto, prefers own in-car entertainment system
Toyota, which makes three of the top-ten best-selling cars in the USA, has told the NY Times that it “currently has no plans” to offer Android Auto in US-sold cars.
John Hanson, the national manager of Toyota’s advanced technology communications, said while the company talked frequently with both Google and Apple, it currently had no plans to adopt Android Auto or CarPlay in the United States.
“We may all eventually wind up there, but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions,” Mr. Hanson said.
Google created the Open Automotive Alliance for manufacturers committed to bringing the Android platform to cars, whether through original in-car entertainment systems or after-market equipment. Toyota was a notable omission from the 28 car manufacturers listed.
The company is also going it alone on the self-driving car front, currently testing a Lexus LS 600h using what appears to be the same laser-scanning equipment used on Google’s autonomous cars.
