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The factory that only builds white Toyota Land Cruisers
- mmsimanga 4y agoFascinating. I hope someone makes a similar EV vehicle without all the bells and whistles.
- itsyaboi 4y agoBollinger Motors had a utilitarian EV offering for a while, but kept bumping up the price for whatever reason. Looks like they've pivoted into electric semis now? https://bollingermotors.com/b1-b2/ https://bollingermotors.com/b1-b2/
- gregoriol 4y agoEVs require quite a lot of electronics just to function, are hard to fix, and also finding extra electricity in places where those kind of vehicles are used wouldn't be as easy a getting a jerrycan.
- dragonsky67 4y agoI've got to ask the stupid question... Why do EV's need lots of electronics? the only required controls I can think of are: - Charge control, - Power control - accelerator and regen breaking - Whatever driver assist is legally required You don't need phone home telemetry, glass dashboard controls, dodgy auto pilot or many other luxury "needs" I would think that an EV could be even simpler than a ICE vehicle as there is no need for all the complex engine management required to keep fuel consumption down.
- foobarian 4y ago
- dotancohen 4y agoThis is exactly the quote that I came to post. It's still in my clipboard. This vehicle is built not for I-can-get-to-a-mechanic Europe. This vehicle is build for no-mechanic-for-1000-km Africa, to deliver food and medicines. And I'm sure that armies love them too. Even though they state: > But a firm line is drawn at anything that could be construed as military use.
- jgrahamc 4y agoYes. Having been in these across the Sahara they are the only model that people trust in the literal middle of nowhere. It's more than just the lack of electronics. The bearings and suspension hold up to brutal conditions such as driving across badlands for hours and sand everywhere.
- mcv 4y agoIn 2006 I visited Timbuctoo. These things are ubiquitous there. All cars waiting for the ferry across the Niger were Toyota Landcruisers, with one exception: a Toyota Hilux. Leaving the city (by Landcruiser of course) across the desert, we came across other Landcruisers, as well as a single Mitsubishi 4WD that had broken down. Rumour had it that if your Landcruiser broke down in the middle of the desert, a guy on a camel would come along and he'd be able to get you parts for your Landcruiser. The rest of Mali had lots of aging Peugeots and the occasional Mercedes van, but the desert was clearly the domain of the Landcruiser.
- dsfyu404ed 4y agoYou almost stumbled across the reason Toyotas are so prevalent in the third world but you missed it because it doesn't fit your biases. A running vehicle is a hot commodity in that part of the world and with cheap labor they can fix just about anything. So why was that Mitsubishi not fixed and running? Why is every other car in Brazil a Ford? Why do you pretty much never see a Hilux in Russia (much to the consternation of the fanboys who think it would fit well in a rural country like that)? Supply chain. Toyota does not make seals. They do not make bearings. They do not forge and roll their own steel. They buy the same parts everyone else in the business does. Toyota was the only major brand to pay the poor equatorial nations any attention for a long time. They were the only ones who did the hard work to establish the business relationships needed to get their service parts into the poor parts of the world. As a result of this their vehicles are the preference of the poor parts of the world, because they are the ones you can actually get the parts for.
- alexnewman 4y agoThis is amazing. I wish more car companies had this focus. I would bet all in, it’s more green than other cars. Emission standards tend to be poorly thought out.
- Pxtl 4y agoI doubt it. Modern cars are very efficient in burning fuel, and this kind of old-fashioned engine, while necessary for infrastructure-poor areas, is going to have comparatively poor mileage and tailpipe emissions.
- bombcar 4y agoConsidered -all in- - if you count the emissions required to keep a modern car operational (which includes accounting for much of society itself, I'd guess) this may be lower. But that gets obscured because we already HAVE the high-emissions society with all the parts and pieces and knowhow. After all, a vehicle that fails in the middle of nowhere may never be towed back and fixed unless it's like this one - fixable with very little.
- oaktrout 4y agoI agree. One has to ask: what is worse for the environment, a car that pollutes more but lasts 400k miles or a car that pollutes less but only lasts 200k. The cost and environmental affects of manufacturing aren't zero.
- bombcar 4y agoIt also varies based on what you have for recycling and other things, too - if we're talking the only vehicle in an entire town that is otherwise from the 1800s, the long-running simple one will almost certainly win. But in Los Angeles? That's an entire different issue, especially as there will be so many that economies of scale come into play.
- zelos 4y ago80% of the CO2 is in the operation and servicing. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/comparative-life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-emissions-of-a-mid-size-bev-and-ice-vehicle https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/comparative-l...
- sircastor 4y agoWhen I was young, we did a unit in Japan in school. I remember specifically that white cars were a thing. Like virtually every privately owned auto in Tokyo was white.
- jollyllama 4y agoSomewhat counterintuitively, white cars show less dirt. This is also pretty common for the government fleet here in the USA.
- ChuckNorris89 4y agoAs the owner of a white car I can attest that they show the most dirt easily. Matt white is the most popular color for governments and businesses because it's the cheapest to buy and the cheapest/easiest to fix by yourself when scuffed (I fixed mine with a 2 Euro tippex like marker from Amazon). Metallic/perlescent paints are far pricier for buying and are a nightmare to maintain and fix when scuffed. In Europe, the white van is the workhorse of every business.
- olex 4y agoI had a couple black cars and currently a white one. Imho, black is much more susceptible to dirt, even the lightest dust is visible immediately. White is quite a bit better but still needs a wash every now and then. And then there's "silver" aka light grey, that never needs a wash at all pretty much.
- jollyllama 4y agoAgreed re black vs white, haven't had silver. I suppose it depends on the type of dirt you encounter. Agree w/ GP re: touchup, "white van man" aka contrators.
- toast0 4y agoWhite paint also doesn't fade. It can still look worse as it ages, of course, but it's still white. Red cars don't stay red, and neither do black cars, but white cars are still white (or white with road grime)
- geocrasher 4y agoI wish we could get these in the US. We lack basic cars anymore. This is why I still drive a 1988 Suburban. Yes, it requires a lot of maintenance (It's almost 35 years old!) but it's simple, and tough as nails and, in general, simple to repair.
- srj 4y agoTacoma with the 4cyl engine is an old reliable design you can still buy today.
- freeplay 4y agoI would stay away from the 4cyl Tacoma. Only because the V6 in the current gen is under powered as it is. This is coming from a Toyota fanboy (owned 2 Tacomas and now drive a Tundra).
- srj 4y agoThe problem is that squeezing out more fuel economy + power and reducing emissions has also made the engine design more complex. Not too big a leap to say this also makes them less reliable and more difficult to service. There's a video going over the new and old designs (pinned to where the 4cyl part starts): https://youtu.be/ei5yC4IdDhs https://youtu.be/ei5yC4IdDhs Wouldn't be too surprised if they retire it next year.
- kylehotchkiss 4y agoI think the engine offered in new 4Runners and tacomas is a 10 year old model. I like the “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” mentality Toyota has managed to keep over the years. Emissions are catching up with them and they’re probably going to make a mess of transition to the new platform in upcoming model years though
- arh68 4y agoTacomas switched to the 3.5L 2GR-FKS with port + direct injection (& Atkinson cycle), years ago. 4Runners still have the old 4.0L 1GR-FE, port-injected. (and a 5-speed automatic! you're right about low-change mentality) Fuel economy is roughly similar (>= 11.0 L / 100 Km), as far as I know, as is power.
- sgt 4y agoI have a Toyota Land Cruiser here in South Africa with the petrol/gasoline engine. Amazing car. It's built to last though, so its on-road handling is not as great as modern cars.
- ColonelBlimp 4y agoIt didn't happen often but for security reasons in some conflict areas MSF decided to paint their white Land Cruisers in pink to make sure everyone knew who was driving the car. It also made their cars less attractive for thieves.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- mauvehaus 4y agoThat could backfire a bit! The SAS used to paint their Land Rovers pink for desert camouflage: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/you-could-own-former-sas-pink-panther-land-rover https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/you-could-own-forme...
- sklargh 4y agoAlso their strike aircraft. https://theaviationist.com/2016/02/20/desert-pink-special-colored-tornado/ https://theaviationist.com/2016/02/20/desert-pink-special-co...
- coryfklein 4y agoEh, I'd say it is quite a stretch to call that color "pink". But I guess in comparison to other traditional martial colors? But show that photo to a person on the street and ask what color it is... you're unlikely to get "pink" in response.
- bragr 4y agoIt appears to be a pretty distinctive pink design: https://africatimes.com/2017/03/30/msf-mali-report-perilous-terrain-pink-trucks-and-protecting-aid-workers/ https://africatimes.com/2017/03/30/msf-mali-report-perilous-...
- hutzlibu 4y agoWhy on earth would a pink camouflage be better than the standard desert camouflage? If it would, then we likely would see more of it ...
- pedro_hab 4y agoI wonder if the lower emissions are really worth it if the car breaks down sooner. All the electronics and gimmicks to lower immediate emissions at the cost of reliability. My car, for instance, turns off the engine when stopped, that can't be good for the engine and battery. If saves a bit of gas but I am sure I'll have to change my battery sooner, not to mention the wear and tear on other components.
- mcv 4y agoWhy would it not be good to turn your engine off? I sometimes come across stationary cars with a running engine, and I honestly wonder why anyone does that.
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y agoThat's a cool story! When I lived in Africa, everyone drove a Land Rover (don't remember the model name, though). Damn uncomfortable ride, but you could go anywhere. I think it was also possible to completely dismantle the car, by hand, so it could be portaged around.
- giamma 4y agoDefender maybe?
- yourapostasy 4y agoWhat I heard from my South African friends who experienced the 1960s there, was a Land Rover Series I or II could be disassembled by hand, with hand tools, and nearly completely rebuilt not to speak of repaired in the bush. And it was claimed yes, they could be portaged across any terrain once fully-disassembled with sufficient manpower, beast power, time, and logistical train. Portaging was not done lightly, as the effort was considerable, and the vast logistical tail to accomplish it had to hoof it back on their own with the exception of the handful or fewer who could ride onwards on the re-assembled and fueled up Land Rover. Carrying the fuel and bare minimum consumables for the round-trip logistical train (assuming foraging on the go was even an option) I imagine was almost as much of a burden as the vehicle itself. Toyota does seem to have taken over this niche though, as Land Rover doesn't seem too interested any longer in the market these days.
- radicality 4y agoI remember reading a few years ago a really interesting trip report of a couple doing a proper road trip through Africa in a Landcruiser. Was impressed just how much the car went through and how it was still operational. Super interesting read if you have some time to spare. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/democratic-republic-of-congo-lubumbashi-to-kinshasa.50799/ https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/democratic-republ...
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- rejectfinite 4y agoVideo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z_V5ggUo2Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z_V5ggUo2Y I had no idea, amazing. Old school, long-lasting, reliable. Is there a car for us "normies" that is like this? Being a swede, I would say the Volvo 240.
- HeyLaughingBoy 4y agoIf you're living in the "normal" world, I'd say just go buy the Landcruiser that's sold in your area. Landcruisers are designed for a 25 year service life, so you'll probably be fine. Alternately, you could look around for an old Unimog -- I'm still dreaming of one. If you're in the US, you can often find an LMTV for sale: a fair amount of people refit them for overlanding or vanlife. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Medium_Tactical_Vehicles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Medium_Tactical_Vehi.... I don't think those are very computerized.
- interactivecode 4y agoThe lada niva is a similarly simple and reliable car still sold in some eu countries for about 13k
- rejectfinite 4y agoThe stark white Toyota is really a symbol. Had no idea they are going to Ukrine too.
- coconut_crab 4y agoThis is why I love my 80 series Land Cruiser (carb, not EFI), it's really simple that a lot of maintenance can be done with just wrenches. And the charm of having almost no electronics[1] on the car control is that if something is wrong, you will know it by the sounds it makes, and you will have a lot of times to fix it before it's completely toast. I have heard of horror stories about newer cars with electric ABS accumulator that stopped working on the high way, not with my FZJ80[2]. [1] The so called 'emission computer' unit on the car is a simple pulse counter/comparator that activates a VSV on the carb to reduce backfire while descending downhill with the foot off the throttle. [2] My brake booster is leaking a little bit, but at least it won't suddenly gives up on me while I'm riding, still looking for a replacement.
- geocrasher 4y agoThose are excellent vehicles indeed. Unfortunately they're also very expensive to maintain. As for a brake booster, I once swapped a booster from a 1990's Toyota pickup into a FJ55. Would you believe it bolted to the firewall? Might be a worthy swap in your FJZ80.
- atourgates 4y agoReally? My '95 FJ80, now over 200k miles, has been one of the cheapest and easiest to mantain, and most reliable vehicles I've ever owned. Overall cost of ownership is rough due to terrible MPG, but maintenance hasn't been an issue at all.
- geocrasher 4y agoLast time I looked, parts were fairly expensive. They are excellent otherwise.
- dsfyu404ed 4y agoSo that's like what, 82 in Town and Country years? Point being, 200k and 25yr on an SUV isn't that impressive on something expensive enough in its day to mostly avoid being rode hard and put away wet from day one. There are a lot of pretty pristine 90s Jags kicking around too and they weren't exactly the pinnacle of reliability. Minivans, commuter compacts, station wagons, they got chewed up and spit out.
- dewey 4y agoThey are a very common theme on an IG account dedicated to collecting Toyotas in war zones: https://www.instagram.com/toyotasofwar/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/toyotasofwar/?hl=en
- Eupraxias 4y agoOld Land Cruisers have been my "dream car" since I first rode on one on Mt. St. Helens in 1998, and really saw what they can do.
- wiradikusuma 4y agoAre we talking about the same Land Cruiser? In my home country, Indonesia, Land Cruiser is a luxury car. It sounds like in US or other countries it's like Honda Civic level.
- wasmitnetzen 4y agoNo, it's not really the same vehicle. The name is the same, but the 70 Series mentioned in the article is built since 1984, what you are thinking of are the 200 and 300 series, which are decidely luxury SUVs. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_Cruiser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_Cruiser
- Our_Benefactors 4y agoThere is a thriving trade in older and used land cruisers which are more bare bones but known for their reliability.
- r_hoods_ghost 4y agoProbably not. These are 70 series land cruisers which are essentially the same as those manufactures in the mid 80s and are designed to be mechanically robust and simple to repair. Latest model land cruisers are pretty much luxury cars that you can take off road but most people probably don't, same as a range rover etc.
- kylehotchkiss 4y agoIs the Fortuner available in your market? That is how Toyota offers a reasonably priced modern alternative in some countries
- kylehotchkiss 4y agoI visited Nepal a few years back and it was amusing seeing the UN drive these massive shiny land cruisers while everybody else was drying cars a bit smaller than a 90s civic. Optics matter, and maybe a Hilux or RAV4 would have suited the environment better
- ColonelBlimp 4y agoI've seen the same in many other humanitarian responses. The UN also has Toyota Corollas (or similar sedans) in their fleets and they're often used for short distances. The problem (or the advantage depending on the security situation) is Corollas don't stand out as much as Land Cruisers. In some countries, white Toyota Corollas are the most common car.
- hiharryhere 4y agoLane Cruiser 70s are still very common in Australia and available new. They might be basic and old but they’re not cheap - starting around 80K aud. https://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70 https://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70
- markmark 4y agoAnd I believe you can't order one at that price as the waiting list had reached several years so they closed the book. You're looking at over 100kAUD to buy a low km used one.
- ryan-allen 4y agoYou are correct, you cannot order a new 70 series in Australia at the moment (or a 200, or a 300 series I believe). Right now dealer 'used' 78 series with 300kms on the clock are around 120k, or you can buy a 20 year old one for just under half of that!
- game_the0ry 4y agoIf you are interested in a current year vehicle that is durable and simple, I recommend looking into the current generation Toyota 4Runner: * body-on-frame construction * reliable and proven engine platform (naturally aspirated v6) * 5 speed auto transmission (modern trannys have like 10 gears bc of emissions) * no fancy hybrid / turbo drivetrain that will start breaking after 3 years * big after market so you can customize to your liking (got a bunch of off road toys on mine) Cons: * expensive (though you will save on maintenance and repair costs in the long run) * there is a big demand for these trucks so you might need to stomach a $5K dealer mark up * gas hog * drives like farm equipment compared to a tesla, not refined at all * infotainment is about as modern as the rest of the car Next generation, it will probably go the hybrid / turbo route like the tundra.
- eitally 4y agoI had one of these (well, I had a 2010), and sold it in 2016 (it could not accommodate 3 across car seats). While everything you say is true, I suggest those attributes only carry overweight value for people who are inclined to 1) do their own wrenching, or 2) spend a lot of time off road. For normal city use, 4Runners are a really poor option, given how "truck-like" they are, how inefficient their use of interior space is, and how poor their gas mileage is. I would much rather have something like a Forester or even CR-V, or Explorer or Highlander or any of the other unibody AWD car-like options. Even my actual truck (2017 F150, which I bought to replace the 4R) is FAR more pleasant to drive, more useful, and gets better mileage.
- tempaccesss 4y agoAt least in my region (Southern California), the 4x2 4Runners are going for $3-4k below MSRP. IMO, the biggest drawback is that all of your savings from maintenance will go towards paying for gas.
- 0xffff2 4y agoA 4x2 4Runner is an absolute waste of parts. If you aren't going to take it somewhere that you at least sometimes need 4x4, why on Earth are you buying a 4Runner at all? (I know, because it's a status symbol, but that's not what this thread is about.)
- aae42 4y agoI love land cruisers, in particular I'm attracted to the design ethos. Every series and every style. I have a land cruiser sticker on my laptop for that reason. In a society of throw away automobiles, here's something built to withstand. Miss my 250k+ mile 80 series we got rid of because we needed to go down to one car. As soon as I need another 2nd vehicle it'll be a land cruiser (or Lexus LX) or Land Cruiser Prado (Lexus GX here in the states).
- _hcuq 4y agoWould a new land cruiser have the same longevity?
- aae42 4y agoThere is no reason to believe they wouldn't. The 2 models in appreciable production, the 70 series highlighted here has proven itself with a long track record. The 200 series, soon to be replaced has generally been the most expensive Toyota one can buy. The LX generally the most expensive Lexus (apart from super special models like LFA or Century in Japan), and engineers are generally given "a blank check" to build what they want to build that meets that ethos. Even though the next version will go more complicated with smaller engines and turbo chargers, they are still properly built. It's not just classic land cruisers with longevity, easy to find examples of 100 series land cruisers and Lexus GS (120 series) from the early to late 00s with half a million miles and going strong. 200s will when they've been around long enough.
- ericzawo 4y agoIs it possible to buy one in North America?
- colineartheta 4y agoThe article answers that question relatively early on.
- slim 4y agothose are also a key tool in "modern warfare". because it could be supplied very early on before any weapon, since technically they are not a weapon. when war started in libya, qatar sent hundreds of those to the terrorists to fuel the war.
- williamcotton 4y agoHow about a mainly analog Toyota EV with no bells and whistles? I absolutely do not want a giant touchscreen interface.