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.

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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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• Remote Climate – Enables the driver to manage the car's climate from the mobile handset to ensure a comfortable temperature before entering the vehicle.
• 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