Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, Toyota announces that the 2024 Toyota Camry will be hybrid only; and Apple announces a patent for an autonomous vehicle feature that can detect driver emergencies.
Here’s to hybrid
For the 2025 model year, Toyota’s longest-running family sedan moves into its 9th generation with a hybrid powertrain that has previously been included in other Toyota models to date.
The new 2025 Camry will include a 2.5L four-cylinder engine paired with electrified hybrid features. This combination is expected to result in 225 horsepower in front-wheel drive applications or 232 horsepower when fitted with all-wheel drive.
This technological shift marks the first-ever sedan pairing of this hybrid power team as well as an initial foray into the mash of hybridization and all-wheel drive on the Camry.
The Camry being exclusively hybrid-electric means that it will be joining the likes of the Prius, Sienna and Venza, among others.
The new Camry will also feature the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driving aids, which includes pre-collision warning systems, dynamic radar cruise control and lane departure alert with steering assists.
The release of the 2025 Camry is expected to arrive next spring at Toyota dealerships across Canada.
An apple a day
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently published a patent application from Apple for a vehicle navigation system that can detect when drivers or passengers are experiencing an emergency.
Using a remote control system that can generate remote driving commands in an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle could then navigate itself to a particular location without requiring the occupant to manually navigate the vehicle in the event of an emergency.
According to the patent application, the remote control system can monitor the occupant of the vehicle via communicated vehicle sensor data and could then control devices included in the vehicle to provide an external indication that the vehicle is being navigated using a remote driving control.
While the remote control system would have to be engaged based on driving commands received by manual operator interaction with an interface in the vehicle, the patent sees the application as being potentially useful in the event that a vehicle occupant is experiencing a “drowsy state,” “intoxicated state” or “cognitive impairment” due to an injury.
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