http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/ Engadget Comments for Toyota's giant solar flowers popping up across US to bring good will, free WiFi, and charging stations http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 1:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 12:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 10:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
But Toyotas are relatively solid cars, I suppose. I had an '86 Celica that held up pretty good. Well, until it got into a fight with Mercury Sable (I won)]]>Jul 21st 2009 2:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 3:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 4:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 5:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/And the Japanese makes Gundams.
Gundams>Transformers
Case closed.]]>Jul 21st 2009 8:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 9:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/The only ones I've seen on the road in the past 12 years have been the new (1998+) model.]]>Jul 21st 2009 10:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 1:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
And how fantastic that they're raising awareness of the Prius in Boston. Thank goodness they didn't forget San Francisco either!

I wonder what the "carbon footprint" of this marketing campaign is?]]>Jul 21st 2009 2:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
That said, I doubt that the small PV panels on the flowers can produce enough energy to offset the consumption. It probably depends on how much the flowers get used, though, and for what purpose. There's more than enough energy produced by the panels to run several cellphones and a WiFi router, but even a couple of laptops (~30W each) used for ~8 hours each would probably be too much for the system to break even.
]]>Jul 21st 2009 2:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 5:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 1:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 3:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
What did you expect? He's using a pot leaf for an avatar.]]>Jul 21st 2009 8:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
stuff like this that makes me want to move to the UK when i grow older =\]]>Feb 13th 2011 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/]]>Jul 21st 2009 10:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 10:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 2:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/]]>Jul 21st 2009 3:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
Fail.]]>Jul 21st 2009 3:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 3:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/

i have a unibody macbook. :(]]>Jul 21st 2009 4:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 1:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Triffids.

*runs away*
]]>Jul 21st 2009 3:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
GM, take note. Green is in. Use it.]]>Jul 21st 2009 4:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
they would not last 10 min in the uk before somone would take them or pull them to bits

just a thought.

]]>Jul 21st 2009 4:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 9:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 5:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 5:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 10:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
So keep your little VW New Beetle flower-looking doohickey!
We're way too busy defrauding Medicare ( http://www.miamibeach411.com/news/index.php?/news/comments/medicare-fraud/ )
and smuggling cubans and haitians (charging $10,000 to 12,000 per person for a 90-mile trip)
than to be bumming around all day charging iphones in bright sunlight (escalating overheat issues) and watching porn in the park!

On a more serious note...I bet viewing sucks in all the direct sunlight and with screen washout...and someone needs tell Officer "Fight Crime Later" in the pic that it's FREE wireless...move along, no one to harass here.]]>Jul 21st 2009 5:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/


]]>Jul 21st 2009 10:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 7:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
They should have picked Dallas, Houston, Miami, and other places where there is nearly zero mass transit. ]]>Jul 21st 2009 8:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
Hydrogen will be the next fuel source. ]]>Jul 21st 2009 8:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/
1) The amount of federal crash equipment alone (airbags etc), along with a bunch of other mandated equipment (catalytic converters etc.) has drastically increased the weight and decreased the efficiency of modern cars. Did your 80's car have AC, a massive stereo, ABS, HID lights, and a bunch of other energy-sucking accessories? Did it do 0-60 in under 10 seconds? It probably had about half the horsepower rating of a similar model today. Comparing a 00's car to an '80s car is just not fair - put them in a crash test or a race, and then decide which one you'd rather drive. If hybrids allow all this extra "baggage" for the same fuel efficiency, isn't that a good thing?

2) Diesel works in Europe. It works because they have much lower air quality standards, particularly in the area of particulates. Even ridden a bike in London - good luck coughing up pieces of lung every few days. There are some solutions (urea injection, particulate filters) which can make modern diesels meet US standards, but most of them suck power and require additional maintenance.

I agree with your comment on the "hipster" status of the prius, but until the volt and other plug-ins arrive, hybrids are a decent compromise for the next decade or so.

Regarding hydrogen, that's a joke. Storage and distribution are still major issues. There is currently no good (high throughput) way to make vast quantities of hydrogen other than by refining fossil fuels. Fuel cells have a major problem with the membranes being poisoned after a few thousand miles. Currently the developmental cars that GM et al. are offering, cost in excess of $1m each. H2 is just not ready for the big-time for at least another decade. Hybrids are here now. They're not an end point, but an important stepping stone.]]>Jul 21st 2009 9:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/Jul 21st 2009 9:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/toyotas-giant-solar-flowers-popping-up-across-us-to-bring-goodw/There are tons of diesel powered vehicles on the road in North America, I guarantee you've seen at least a few. I mean, they're pretty hard to miss, being big 18-wheeler trucks. Not to mention the clean burning diesel VWs and other cars that are starting to get more popular.]]>Jul 21st 2009 10:14AM