Autor: venred

PLANO, Texas, Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Toyota’s second wave of custom SEMA vehicles break cover today, just in time for the holidays. The 2021 GR Supra Sport Top and overlanding-ready TRD-Sport Trailer ensure that Toyota’s on- and off-road performance and adventure concepts continue to inspire Toyota fans and the automotive aftermarket.                                                         

This year Toyota’s two-wave release plans mean that SEMA lives on long after the show. The company previously unveiled four builds in its wave one SEMA360 Showcase presentation, held Nov. 2, 2020. SEMA360 is the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) online program connecting the automotive aftermarket industry in a year that makes the traditional SEMA Show impossible.

«Our wave one reveals whet Toyota fans’ appetite with four creations – a bold, hand-painted GR Supra, two GR Supra drift cars, and an outrageous overlanding-ready Tacoma pickup,» said Ed Laukes, group vice president – Toyota Division Marketing. «But we saved the best for last, and today we’re proud to show off our latest creations, the 2021 GR Supra Sport Top and the TRD-Sport Trailer, among some additional content as well.»

The new 2021 GR Supra Sport Top concept is a perfect follow up to the wildly popular 2020 GR Supra Heritage Edition that debuted at Toyota’s 2019 SEMA Show display, exciting Supra fans worldwide with its custom visual and performance upgrades paying homage to the iconic MKIV Supra from the late ’90s. And Toyota’s TRD-Sport Trailer answers the backroads adventure calling and the growing popularity of overlanding getaways in a year where socializing with family and friends is a challenge.

Highlights from Toyota’s second wave of SEMA360 Showcase creations include:

2021 GR Supra Sport Top
Inspired by the overwhelming response to the GR Supra Heritage Edition that debuted last year, Toyota set out to dream up a fitting companion. Conceptualizing an open-air tribute to removable-top Supra models of the past, the team put much thought into the unprecedented task of removing the roof and a significant part of the GR Supra’s structure. The crew ensured structural rigidity by reinforcing large sections of the vehicle’s frame. The now iconic removeable roof includes two composite panels that can be stored in the car’s trunk. Unlike a «T-Top» car, there is no center bar down the middle, just open air as far as the eye can see. As a sibling to the GR Supra Heritage Edition, the Sport Top delivers similar styling cues like the MKIV-inspired basket handle wing and round taillights.  At the same time, it has a striking profile all its own that includes a sexy black piano-finish canopy over the top.

TRD-Sport Trailer
Overlanding’s growing popularity inspired the Toyota team to think outside the box, as they sought to make a true overland trailer out of a Tacoma pickup bed. The truly over-the-top TRD-Sport Trailer concept serves as a base camp to extend adventurers’ off-highway fun while being pulled by a Toyota truck or SUV. It features a remote-operated scissor-lift that raises an innovative platform several feet out of the bed. There’s a Yakima four-person tent with an awning and fly fishing-pole holders, a custom-built toilet and trash can, a refrigerator, a hot water heater, fresh and gray water holding tanks, a slide-out sink and stove, and efficient campsite lighting. And that’s just getting started, as the details and campsite features are nearly endless.

2020 GR Supra Heritage Edition
This 500-plus horsepower sports car wowed Toyota Supra fans when it debuted late last year, and it makes an encore appearance in 2020 as the ‘take it to the next level’ inspiration for this year’s GR Supra Sport Top. Returning to the spotlight for Toyota’s second wave of content, this one-off creation painted in Re-entry Red continues to excite fans with its retro-inspired custom headlights, taillights, and MKIV-style rear wing. Upgrades such as bigger brakes, tuned engine, turbocharger and ECU, and custom front and rear suspension ensure it performs as spectacularly as it looks.

The Ornamental Conifer Supra and the 4WD Overland-Ready Tacoma also get a reprise from last month with a freshening of new materials.

The final episodes for the GR Supra Sport Top and TRD-Sport Trailer can be found here:

• GR Supra Sport Top Episode 3
• TRD-Sport Trailer Episode 3

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 36,000 in the U.S. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 30 million cars and trucks at our 9 manufacturing plants, 10 including our joint venture in Alabama that is scheduled to begin production in 2021.

To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance to visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Media Contacts:

Zachary Reed
zachary.reed@toyota.com 
469-292-3499

Joshua Burns
joshua.burns@toyota.com 
469-292-6449

For customer inquiries, please call: 800-331-4331
Note to Editors: Photos and b-roll can be found on ToyotaNewsroom.com 

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SOURCE Toyota

WOODINVILLE, Wash., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Group14 Technologies, a global provider of silicon-carbon composite materials for lithium-ion markets, today announced it has secured $17 million in Series B funding led by SK materials, one of the world’s top manufacturers of special gases and industrial gases, with participation from returning investor OVP Venture Partners. Group14 will leverage this operating capital to scale production to meet the increasing demand for its flagship product SCC55™, which affords up to 50% more energy density than conventional graphite for lithium-ion batteries.

«In our role as one of the world’s largest global manufacturers, we are constantly searching for promising companies with patented breakthrough technologies to stay ahead of the demand,» said Lee Young Wook, CEO of SK materials. «Group14’s innovative battery material chemistry maximizes high-quality production at cost, and we are excited to invest in a strong team with an exceptional growth trajectory to meet increasing global demand for a wide range of powerful and flexible storage solutions.»

A leader in battery storage technology, Group14 recently announced plans to break ground on its new hydroelectric powered production facility in Moses Lake, Washington. The facility highlights the company’s first steps to build out a domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain to meet growing demand from the electric vehicle market. Group14’s breakthrough lithium-silicon technology, SCC55™, promises to deliver dramatically more energy density per volume to meet the increasing global demand for high-performing lithium-ion-based storage. Group14 has begun ramping up its pilot production and plans to supply its first commercial customers in consumer electronics in 1Q21, with more to follow in other markets.

Investments led by strategic players in the global lithium-ion landscape have been pivotal to the company’s continued growth and demand. Group14’s earlier financing was led by global battery leaders including Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), the largest producer of lithium-ion batteries for consumer electronics; Showa Denko, a Japanese materials company and the largest producer of graphite; Cabot Corporation, the leading producer of conductive additives; and BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer.

«The investment by industry leaders such as SK materials, a long-time strategic manufacturing giant, is strong validation that Group14’s next-generation lithium-silicon battery material technology has the potential to redefine the capabilities of battery technology,» said Rick Luebbe, CEO of Group14 Technologies. «The battery is at the cornerstone of everything from electronics to electric vehicles, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of battery storage to enable the electrification of everything.»

About Group14 Technologies
Founded in 2015 to enable the coming electrification of everything, Group14’s battery materials breakthrough brings new levels of energy performance to lithium-ion-powered devices and vehicles. Recognized by the Department of Energy for its novel, drop-in ready nanomaterials and reliable industrial-scale process, Group14 serves the global transition to an all-electric future with tunable performance for any use case. Company investors include Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), BASF, Cabot Corporation, OVP Venture Partners, Showa Denko and SK materials. Visit us at www.group14.technology.

About SK materials
SK materials Co Ltd is a Korea-based company engaged in the manufacture and sale of special gas and industrial gas. The company is engaged in the manufacturing business of special gases used in the manufacturing process of semiconductors and display panels, and the industrial gas manufacturing business that produces oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide gases. The company produces nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which is injected to remove any residues on the internal walls of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber; silane (SiH4), which is used to deposit silicon on wafer in semiconductors and to deposit silicon on TFT on top of glass substrates for TFT-LCD; tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), which makes contact plugs during CVD process, as well as dichlorosilane (DCS), which is silicon precursor gas used in combination with ammonia for SiH4 CVD and for deposition of epitaxial silicon.

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SOURCE Group14 Technologies