Toyota Sets Up Connected Technologies Team
Toyota has established a Connected Technologies group with about 100 associates that will focus on how to deliver "industry-leading user experiences and new technologies" for Toyota and Lexus vehicles, the automaker announced.
Toyota has established a Connected Technologies group with about 100 associates that will focus on how to deliver "industry-leading user experiences and new technologies" for Toyota and Lexus vehicles, the automaker announced.
The team will consist of existing Toyota associates from units that work on connected vehicles, information systems, and research and development. Toyota has begun transitioning the employees to the new group.
Connected Technologies will be based in Plano, Texas, and report to Zack Hicks, who will continue in his roles as CIO of Toyota Motor North America and CEO of Toyota Connected North America.
"In-car, connected vehicle technology is a high priority for us because its impact on the customer experience is becoming an increasingly important factor in their purchase decisions," said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America. "We are removing barriers among our North American teams that work on connected vehicles to create a more cohesive and empowered team to listen to and create an ever-better connected car experience for customers."
More Operations

From AI Prompts to AI-Generated Safety Songs | AF News Recap
Can better prompts make AI more useful for fleet managers? This week, we’re breaking down smarter fleet analysis, an AI-assisted experiment that turned safety training into music, and what happened to fuel prices in August.
Read More →
How to Write Better AI Prompts for Fleet Analysis
Include these six elements in your fleet prompts to generate more relevant analysis and accurate answers.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
Gary Van Orden Retires After Nearly Four Decades in Commercial Fleet
From answering customer calls at Ford Motor Company to leading fleet sales across multiple OEMs and a fleet management company, Gary Van Orden's career reflects nearly four decades of leadership in commercial fleet.
Read More →
How Stellantis Plans to Get Ahead of Fleet Downtime
Vehicle acquisition may grab the headlines, but fleet uptime increasingly determines operating success. Darren Bradshaw of Mopar North America gives the details.
Read More →

