SOUTHEAST TOYOTA HOSTS MARCH LUNCHEON AT FORT LAUDERDALE AUTO SHOW

24 March 2022 - Paul Borden

SAMA members once again made the trip to the Broward County Convention Center near Port Everglades for the March 2022 luncheon sponsored by Southeast Toyota Distributors in conjunction with the Fort Lauderdale Auto Show.

In addition to the vehicles on display on the floor below, members heard a presentation from Jacob Baker, Field Operations Manager, and Alex Norori, District Training Manager, on the Japanese automaker’s “electrification” program.

In 2017 the company announced its “Global Environmental Challenge 2050, where they’re going what they’re trying to do as they move and push to the future,” Baker said.That program calls for Toyota to have “electrified” versions of all its vehicles by 2025. and “by 2030 80 percent of Toyota’s global sales will be electrified,” Baker said.“Of course it takes time to get there and investing in all the infrastructureand all that goes along with that,” he said.“Electrified” vehicles does not mean “all-electric.” Norori explained that“Electrified” vehicles include the standard hybrid (HEV) that began withthe introduction of the Toyota Prius in 1997 along with plug-in vehicles (PHEV), fully electric (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEV) thathave come later.

Norori used the RAV4 compact SUV to illustrate. The RAV4 buyers now have a choice of three drivetrains: the familiar gasoline engine, the traditional gas-elective hybrid, and a plug-in version of that SUV.“Everybody’s wants and preferences are very distinct,” Norori said.

A complete video of the presentation is available on this website.

SAMA expresses its appreciation to Southeast Toyota and Christie Caliendo, Director, Public Relations & Integrated Marketing, for sponsoring this popular event once again. This has become virtually an annual spring tradition as the first Southeast Toyota luncheon was in March 2015.