RAN Stumps Toyota

[metalpnx]

c02 emissions is simply a non issue. It's a great buzz word, but thats all. Urban warming however is real but is not a result of c02. Air quality may suffer from emissions but this will not lead to global flooding or freezing. But if you want to freak out about it thats cool. I'm going to drill out my catalytic converter thou so i can get better gas mileage and save fossil fuel and the world.

[jstack6]

I've read Toyota has big reliability problems with their big truck.

This Toyota guy was really upset with the questions for a million times I guess. Looked very tired to.

Maybe all automakers will respond better and make efficient vehicles when they stop the Billions we give big oil. In Europe gas is $7 to 10 a gallon, the real price.

No mandates would be needed then.

[phluxualized]

A perfect example of how much more important the APPEARENCE of green is over the fact of it. Just put a bunch of leaves on your branding and forget about going all the way and making a real difference. There is a small company in california that's been modifying Prius's to make them fully electric.. Toyota can't figure that one out?! This guy is boldfaced lying.. and that's his job in this situation.

[bettysman]

With regard to Toyotas's battling the new clean-energy bill, David Friedman, at the Union of Concerned Scientists said, "Toyota needs to pick sides. Is it for a cleaner world? Or is it just another polluter, willing to use misinformation to avoid accountability? So far, it seems the company is picking the latter option."

[solecal310]

Why wasn't the same question proposed to the Big Three who are a part of this same environmental issue? What about all the other automotive manufacturers who build these CO2 creating machines? Why is Toyota, who has proven many times throughout the world they do in fact care about the environment (they do sell more hybrids than anyone else in the world), the only ones being targeted? Sounds very fishy to me. Long live the Prius!!!

[RANVideo]

We'd welcome posing the same questions to the other majors, and have done so on other occasions.

[solecal310]

The other automotive manufacturers should be a bigger target for environmentalist because if you look at the statistics, Toyota comes second, behind Honda, for best average fuel economy for their vehicle line up in the US. Thats pretty good considering Toyota manufactures full size pick ups and large SUVs, unlike Honda. You guys should spend more time protesting against Hummer and Dodge who are nowhere near Toyota's level of "Green-ness." Why fight the good guys? Just my two cents.

[bd189]

"Why fight the good guys?"

because gm is about to become second to toyota and when that happens toyota definitely won't want to lose money in 'no tune-ups, no oil changes, no clutch replacement'. they and honda like gm, ford and mopar don't want to advance and is another reason we aren't like 'the jetsons'.

[hawkica]

I dont blame them for suing. Some people need a larger truck or suv to tow their crap around theres no way they can come out with a no CO2 v8 gasser in less then 2 years. They need to deal with the crisis in cali. It would be retarded to ban new low CO2 vehicles. People would just use worst co2 HD haulers to do their job.. Socal haze just needs to get darker till 2010

[hawkica]

its the competition.. toyota has never made full size trucks or gas guzzler v8s. But american culture wants big v8 guzzlers. They point out they have to work out on hybrid technology road blocks for these trucks.. they have said in the past theyre working on a hybrid tundra which does it purpose of hauling crap around that your car cant. Its stupid they would pick yota to bash since theyre pushing more hybrid on road then any other manufacturer.

[hawkica]

the man's media badge identified him as Dave Schembri, head of Mercedes-Benz's Smart division...knocked the video camera from the man's hands, and security guards separated the two.

[MarvinEd]

As long as car execs say one thing, and then do another, they're going to keep looking stupid when someone asks an intelligent question. It's a shame we don't have any real journalism left in this country as a vigorous, critical press is one of the cornerstones of democracy. As the RAV4-EV gets 116mpg (gas equivalent/per: EPA) all their arguments against tougher CAFE standards are absolute balderdash.

[antienviornmentalist]

Stumped?

This particular activist was no different than the paparazzi losers that stalk celebrities and ask loaded questions. He impersonated someone he was not and disrespected Mr. Carter who was doing his job promoting a vehicle that many people want, need, and use responsibily.

[snowberg]

If his job is to promote a vehicle, how does what he did help him to accomplish that job?

First day of media training: if you don't like the question, answer a different one, and never, ever show anything but the positive side of your company. So, in this situation the correct response is: "I'm not here to talk about that today, instead I think we need to focus on Toyota's impressive record, blah, blah."

[chimneybert]

The idiot who filmed this used a fake I.D. that happened to have the name of one of Mr. Carter's friends from Mercedes. All he did was cover the camera and call security to haul him away. These left wing environmental nutcases think that they can get away with anything! It's too bad that Toyota isn't pressing charges.

[snowberg]

"It's too bad that Toyota isn't pressing charges."

Really? I don't know the law here, but don't you think that would make Toyota look like the biggest wimps in the world? I mean, their annual revenues must be at least 1000 times RAN's annual budget.

[RANVideo]

Carter did more than "cover the camera". He hit it out of my hand. Check out coverage from Associated Press, Bloomberg and Chicago Tribune for verification.

[snowberg]

can you post links?

[ebayaholic]

Not being honest about who your are and impersonating someone you are not should make this video get removed.

[RANVideo]

Debate and discussion are welcome, but profanity and insults will be removed. Thanks all.

[trysta]

There's absolutely no conclusive evidence that Bob even touched that camera... It could have been anybody's hand, a security guy, the cameraman's... RAN seems like another self-interested environmental group that has little reach or vision and is relegated to posting videos of their supposed "stumping" of an executive at the most progressive major car company in the world. And by the way, most of Toyotas vehicles are ULEV compliant or better, progressing towards emission free.

[antienviornmentalist]

Agree. RAN is a low-rent, unorganized self-promoting organzation that hurts the enviornmental cause more than it helps it.

Their reach is minimal and this is a non-issue outside of the auto-industry insiders and the fanatical environmentalists. No one really cares...

Want proof? This video has been viwed 1600 times and the "Leave Britney Alone" video rant has been viewed 12,000,000 times.

Kinda puts the world in perspective, huh?

[snowberg]

If by low-rent you mean that they have a remarkable success rate for such a low-budget organization, I'll agree with you. However the rest of your statement just doesn't measure up.

RAN is one of the most successful environmental groups in recent memory. So successful in fact, that cases about them are taught in top business schools in order to help managers learn not to screw up like Mr. Carter here.

[ebayaholic]

Impersonating someone that Bob knows isn't too bright. Duh!

[snowberg]

Why not? It seems to have achieved their goals quite nicely in a peaceful, non-destructive way.

[ebayaholic]

Achieved what goal? Make RAN look like a non trustworthy group that will use illegal credentials to snake their way into events that they aren't invited to?

[snowberg]

I don't understand your point about trustworthyness. Do you feel that because one of their members somehow obtained credentials without a different name than his own on them in order to ask a fairly reasonable question in a public forum you trust the other facts in their video less?

[ebayaholic]

So if someone lied to you about something you would call them trustworthy?

[snowberg]

That doesn't really answer my question, but let me answer yours. If someone lied to me I would say they were untrustworthy. BUT-RAN hasn't lied to me. They lied to someone (and I'm not sure they did, someone may have given them properly obtained press credentials) who wanted to stop them from asking a question which I think it is entirely reasonable to ask. If Toyota had already ansewered this question in a public forum, then I don't think I'd feel lied to, but I would be bothered.

[ebayaholic]

Wow, so if RAN lies to get press credentials, what else will they lie about? If they were legit, they would have gotten in on their own credentials and asked the question under their own press persons name, not someone else's. I don't trust people that use illegal means to get what they want.

[snowberg]

Just because an organization is not a press organization doesn't mean that they aren't "legit."

If my mother lied to her boss, I don't think it would make me suspicious of her.

(As a side note, I don't think what RAN did here was illegal. It was a private event and they left when asked to. They *MAY* have lied to someone to get in, but as long as they didn't forge an official document to do it, it isn't illegal.)

[ebayaholic]

So apparently lying is OK with you? Lying doesn't get it in my world. Usually gets you in lots of trouble. As this case in point shows that lying gets you far enough to get you thrown out, but no real or genuine dialogue was exchanged.

Now we are just left with us idiots on YouTube exchanging useless arguments that will change nothing about the question at hand, the lawsuit in California.

It has been fun exchanging comments. Glad we have the freedom to do so. :-)

[kickinbackinOC]

Is there any good hunting in the rainforest?

[snowberg]

Probably. But less and less each day.

[snowberg]

Let's be honest: this guy is a moron. If you are that public a figure, that high up in a corporate hierarchy you should be ready for anything, and know better than to assualt someone on camera.

If anyone's credibility is tarnished by this video it is the business press which wouldn't use their legitimate press credentials to ask such an obvious question.

[chucknate1090]

taking someone's camera is not assault...

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

There is a difference between simple assaults and aggravated assaults. While simple assaults do not involve aggravation like use of deadly weapons etc. aggravated assaults do so. It may be noted that assault often includes not only violence but also any physical contact with some other person without their consent."

[antienviornmentalist]

Assault? Yeah, right. He pushed the camera out of his face by a dishonest trouble-maker with an agenda.

Moron? It takes a pretty smart guy to notice that a press pass is fake when someone jams a camera in your face. You'd have frozen up in a similar situation.

[snowberg]

Not a chance. Being cool under pressure is why executives get paid the big bucks. This guy couldn't cut it.

[damiano714]

Doesn't appear he's at a loss for words but claims you're impersonating someone. While your causes may be noble, if true, you have zero credibility.

[AutoReport1]

Automakers resist CO2 restrictions because they demand automakers make vehicles with lower CO2 emissions, without giving consumers adequate incentive to buy them. Where there are adequate incentives (tax rebates, much higher fuel costs, registration and parking advantages), automakers do build and sell vehicles with much lower CO2 levels (smaller, more expensive vehicles, but that's physics for you).

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

If If If... If TOYOTA or any of these manufacturers gave a rats ass about anything other than profit, they would be pushing the envelope of ELECTRIC vehicles.

Why can Phoenix motorcars get a vehicle on the road but these guys can't?

Just wait for Tesla to hit the road then the excuses will fall on deaf ears.

[beckcommar]

Yeah! Why not?????