Tweddle Group Introduces Advanced Electric Vehicle Mobile Apps

        Tweddle Group Introduces Advanced Electric Vehicle Mobile Apps

RAV4 EV and Latest Prius Plug-in Hybrid Integrate Tweddle Connect Apps to Give
Drivers EV Car Control Both Inside and Away from the Vehicle

PR Newswire

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 11, 2012

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toyota Rav4 EV was one of
the top cars to watch at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and part of what makes the
car exciting is the range of in-car apps specific to EV drivers. Tweddle Group
Technologies, the Seattle-based connected services division of Tweddle Group,
in conjunction with Toyota Motor Sales, Toyota's U.S. sales and marketing arm,
developed a series of mobile apps for the new Toyota EV, including apps that
locate charging stations, control in-car climate from a smartphone, and help
find the vehicle in crowded parking lots.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120806/DE52319LOGO )

The new EV apps move beyond the base five and information applications
currently seen in the Toyota Entune infotainment system, also built on the
Tweddle Connect platform.   Current offering includes Movie Tickets, Open
Table, Bing, Pandora and iHeartRadio apps as well as services including
traffic, weather, stocks and sports. The EV-specific apps offer a more
connected experience for eco-savvy drivers and include:

  o Charge Management - Allows drivers to monitor the charge state of the
    vehicle as well as invoke a charge cycle remotely at any time in which the
    vehicle is plugged in at a charging station.
  o Charging Station Map – Provides drivers a map to find charging stations,
    sorted by price, distance and availability. This application also
    navigates the driver to the charging station easily from both the mobile
    handset and the vehicle head unit.
  o ECO Dashboard – Integrates with a social network to deliver real-time
    assessment of the driver's vehicle operation including ECO driving score,
    fuel economy and efficiency.
  o Plug-in Reminder – Utilizes geo-fencing to send alerts if the vehicle is
    not plugged in to a charging station when turned off (available only in
    the RAV4 EV).
  o Remote Climate – Enables the driver to manage the car's climate from the
    mobile handset to ensure a comfortable temperature before entering the
    vehicle.
  o Vehicle Finder – Communicates and navigates vehicle location to the
    driver's mobile handset through the vehicle GPS chip.

"Our new EV apps enable drivers to interact on a new level with their
vehicle," said Paul Sciame, general manager at Tweddle Group. "Both consumers
and automakers are looking for compelling solutions for connecting mobile apps
with the in-car driving experience and our platform makes that possible."

"Tweddle Connect brings together applications, content, services and
technologies in a seamless way, empowering Toyota drivers with the most
exciting automotive app experience from within and away from their cars," said
Andy Tweddle, CEO of Tweddle Group.

About Tweddle Group
For more than 58 years, Tweddle Group has remained a leading provider of
information solutions for automotive OEMs and their suppliers. With offices in
Detroit, Seattle, Brussels, Koln, Torino and Shanghai, OEMs count on Tweddle
to deliver innovative solutions to support a brand-specific consumer
relationship with their vehicle, the dealer, and the automotive manufacturer.

About Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., is the marketing, sales, distribution and
customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS
markets products and services throughout a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota,
Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.64 million vehicles in 2011.
Toyota directly employs over 30,000 people in the US and its investment here
is currently valued at more than $18 billion.
 
For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com,
www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Contacts:

Lauren Moynihan
lmoynihan@tweddle.com
703-867-1688

Samantha Steinwinder | Concept PR for Tweddle Group
samantha@conceptpr.net
206-713-6983

SOURCE Tweddle Group

Website: http://www.tweddle.com