HEADLINE: Toyota seeks damage control, in public and private

CAPTION: In public, Toyota is running apologetic TV ads and vowing to win back customers'' trust. Behind the scenes, the besieged carmaker is trying to learn all it can about congressional investigations, maybe even steer them if it can. (Feb. 9)

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.

(Springfield, New Jersey)

"You just feel this jerk, this whoop! Type feeling."

That''s 2010 Prius Owner Scott Kivowitz describing the problem with his brakes.

"My first time experiencing it, it did scare me."

He''s anxious to get word from Toyota on when he can take his car

in for the recall fix.

(Scott Kivowitz, 2010 Prius Owner)

"The way I''m experiencing it is when I go over potholes and I have to hit the break pretty hard, it sort of gives a bit for a split second, and you feel this jump of acceleration and then the brakes kick in right away."

The automaker is recalling 437 thousand of the new Prius cars and other hybrids to fix the brakes.

The company''s president of American sales apologized on the company''s website.

BUG: Toyota.com

(Jim Lentz, Toyota President)

"I want to sincerely apologize to Toyota owners. I know that our recalls have caused many of you concern and for that I am truly sorry."

Toyota says recalled Prius owners will be notified by mail in the next few days of when and where they can bring their cars in to be

fixed.

(Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press)

"Until very recently, Toyota had a fantastic reputation. The magazine Consumer Reports for the last six years has rated

the 2010 Prius one of their Top Picks among all new cars. It was rated on road tests, reliability and safety."

(Miami)

Many Toyota Dealers, like this one in Miami, say all the recalls are having a devastating effect on sales.

(Frank Marsala, Kendall Toyota)

"The biggest factor is the loss of sales, you know we have a fixed overhead here we have a lot of people on the payroll we have

advertising and process so, to cut your sales in half for 30 days is painful, but in the long run it will be a good thing for Toyota and Toyota dealers."

Trying to get ahead of the bad publicity, Toyota has been running TV commercials apologizing for their automobile''s problems.

NATS: "in recent days our company has not been living up to the standards you expect from us."

The commercial promises consumers it has stopped production of new cars until all problems are fixed.

Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press, Springfield, New Jersey

HEADLINE: Toyota admits design problems with Prius brakes

CAPTION: Toyota admitted design problems with the brakes in its prized Prius, adding to the catalog of woes for the world''s No. 1 automaker still reeling from a massive U.S. recall involving faulty gas pedals. (Feb. 4)

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.

Toyota is now admitting design problem with the brakes in its prized Prius -- adding to the list of woes for the world''s number one automaker.

A Toyota spokesman said Thursday that the company discovered there were design problems with the antilock brake system and corrected them for Prius models sold since late January.

But the company said it was still investigating how to inform people who had bought the gas-electric hybrid cars.

Complaints about braking problems in the Prius have been reported in both the U-S and Japan. This comes after Toyota had to recall more than four million vehicles for faulty gas pedals.

All of these problems are hurting Toyota''s bottomline. The company says the recalls will cost it two billion dollars -- more than one billion coming in the cost of repairs, the rest in lost sales.

The Prius is the world''s best-selling hybrid. Since May, more than 170 thousand have been sold in Japan, another 100 thousand in the U-S.

HEADLINE: Toyota unveils new Prius at Detroit auto show

CAPTION: From new lithium ion battery packs to updated hybrids, carmakers are looking to step up the fuel efficiency of their vehicles. Toyota announced Monday that the third generation of the Prius, the standard for hybrids, will get a combined 50 miles to the gallon. (Jan. 12)

Nats of Prius unveiling

THE CAR THAT SET THE STANDARD FOR HYBRIDS IS NOW IN ENTERING ITS THIRD GENERATION.

TOYOTA UNVEILED THE NEW 2010 PRIUS AT THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW AND ANNOUNCED THE CAR WILL GET A COMBINED 50 MILES PER GALLON.

Bob Carter/Toyota Vice President

"Not only is this the most fuel efficient midsize in its segment. It is also the highest mileage car sold in America."

TRACY HANDLER, AUTO ANALYST FOR GLOBAL INSIGHT SAYS THE PRIUS HAS BECOME AN ICONIC BRAND FOR TOYOTA.

Tracy Handler/Auto Analyst

"All of those incremental miles per gallon help reduce fuel consumption in the US as a whole. So if there are more 50 mpg cars or 43's or 48's all of that really helps us with energy independence

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE FOR GENERAL MOTORS MEANS PRODUCING NEW BATTERIES.

GM CEO RICK WAGONER SAYS THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF ADVANCED BATTERIES MUST BE A CORE COMPETITENCY FOR THE AUTO MAKER.

SO AS A RESULT THE COMPANY WILL MANUFACTURE THIS LITHIOM ION BATTERY PACK IN MICHIGAN FOR THE CHEVY VOLT AND IT IS PARTNERING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TO CREATE A SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM FOR BATTERY ENGINEERS.

Rick Wagoner/G.M CEO

"Yes GM is getting back into the battery business. Our facility will be the first lithium ion battery manufacturing plant operated by a major auto maker in the US and of course it will create new green jobs.

MARK CARLSON/STANDUP

THE IDEA OF SAYING GOODBYE TO GASOLINE AND PLUGGING IN YOUR CAR FOR POWER SOUNDS PRETTY TEMPTING.

BUT THERE IS SOME CONCERN ABOUT WHERE ALL OF THIS NEW ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO COME FROM.

Tracy Handler/Auto Analyst

"The electric grid in the United States is vulnerable to start with and depending on how many electric cars you ad to it could cause some problems."

PRESSED BY CONGRESS TO RE-INVENT ITSELF, GENERAL MOTORS SAYS IT HAS NOW INVESTED MORE THAN ON BILLION DOLLARS ON THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE AUTOMOBILE.

MARK CARLSON, AP, DETROIT

HEADLINE: New electric and hybrid vehicles debut in Germany

CAPTION: Car manufacturers unveiled a range of electric cars and hybrid engines at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show, which opened to media on Tuesday. (Sept. 15)

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.

THIS YEAR'S FRANKFURT AUTO SHOW IS FILLED WITH A RANGE OF NEW ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES.

BMW

TOYOTA

AND MERCEDES SHOWED OFF THEIR CONSUMER AND CONCEPT CARS -- ALONG WITH A HOST OF OTHER CAR COMPANIES.

HYBRID CARS BLEND AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND A COMBUSTIBLE ENGINE. BUT ANALYSTS EXPECT A HUGE INCREASE IN THE PRODUCTION OF PURE ELECTRIC CARS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. FROM NEARLY 9,500 THIS YEAR TO MORE THAN 58,000 IN 2011. ELECTRIC CARS ARE STILL LIMITED BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY IS EXPENSIVE. STILL TOYOTA JUST DEVELOPED THE FIRST PLUG-IN VERSION OF THE PRIUS HYBRD, WHICH OFFERS OWNERS THE EASE OF CHARGING THE CAR BATTERY AT A HOUSEHOLD OUTLET.

EXPERTS SAY ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAY BE COMPARABLE TO THE STANDARD COMBUSTION ENGINE WITHIN THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

THE 63RD ANNUAL FRANKFURT AUTO SHOW IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON THURSDAY.

APTN STORY NUMBER: 619603

AP TELEVISION

SHOTLIST

1. Various of the Mercedes SLS AMG

2. Wide of Lamborghini Reventon

3. Bentley Continental GTC

4. Close up of Bentley sign, pull out to stand

5. Close up of model, pull out to Maserati GranCabrio

6. Close up pan of Maserati bumper, pull out to wide of car

7. Model, pull out to Maserati

8. Various of Ferrari 458 Italia

9. Mid of Lotus Evora

10. Wide of motor show