Just remember, Toyota and any car manufacturer is a faceless corporation driven by owners to perform, Theres no loyalty unless it pays.

The former boss of the manufacturing workers union says the Government could be buying “a pig in a poke” with the Camry deal. In other words, Kevin Rudd has signed the deal in a hurry without really understanding what he’s getting.

“What disturbs me about it is that it seems to me we’re buying old technology,” he has told the The Sydney Morning Herald.

He has a point. The Camry hybrid we’ll get is based on the same technology as the current Prius, which is essentially almost a decade old. By 2010, both General Motors and Toyota are aiming to have much more efficient plug-in hybrids based on the latest battery technology.

So why has the Government been so keen to secure the deal? And why is it giving the world’s most profitable car company a $35 million hand-out when the company itself says it was going to bring the hybrid Camry to Australia anyway?

Add to that the fact that all the components for the hybrid drivetrain in the Camry will be imported from Japan, and the net worth to Australia of the deal begins to become a little dubious.

Senator Campbell suggests the generosity may be tied in with local manufacturing jobs more than genuine environmental concerns.

Toyota has been very vocal about the fact that its Australian manufacturing operation, including its export business, is looking less attractive to head office because of the high labour costs and the strength of the Australian dollar.

Senior management says the local operation’s biggest threat isn’t Holden and Ford, but other Toyota plants around the world. The company now has Camry plants in seven countries around the globe, including China, Russia and Thailand.

Was Mr Rudd’s decision more about keeping Camry production in Australia and less about delivering a greener future for Australian motorists?

After all, 10,000 hybrid Camrys, some of which are likely to substitute for Priuses, are hardly going to put much of a dent in our automotive industry’s global footprint, given that Australians buy one million new cars every year.

So do you think Senator Campbell’s on the money or is the Camry deal an important step towards a greener future for the Australian car industry?

Richard Blackburn

Posted on June 23, 2008 4:24 PM

Hydrogen is the answer………..”Hydrogen, being a fuel that burns cleanly, it can directly address polluting emissions.”

“When you burn hydrogen you produce only water, so there is no CO2 produced, so no impact on greenhouse gas emissions.” (HYBRIDS STILL WILL PRODUCE CO2 EMISSIONS AND ARE STILL RELIANT ON PETROL AND/OR ELECTRICITY).

Seems to me all people are blinded by this fact thinking it is the answer…….ts only a stepping stone to next level (e.g. full electric or hydrogen)!

A bit like thier sales – cold !!

The guy that owns the Hiace regularly dumps on Korean cars by the way. 350,000klms out of an auto gearbox is pretty good I thought!

Toyotas need things replaced/repaired like any other vehicle that is all I am saying!!!

Just want to balance out this Toyota rhetoric that they are the most reliable vehicle ever.

In relation to the JD Powers survey I would expect the type of people that buy a Hybrid to rate it well or as the ants pants as long as it performs it’s basic functions satisfactorily.

The cv seals is part of the 100,000klm Cruiser service (live front axle) and is expensive.Power steering pump just unlucky I guess.

Also, you mentioned about 3 weeks ago you might look into a Australian Rally Championship (ARC) article … how is that going.

Better still, the next round is down your way in SE Queensland on the weekend of 22-23 June with Toyota, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford, VW and Honda all competing.

Might be a worth-while visit to watch and then report on a good, competitive weekend of Australian Rally Racing … !!

Let me know what your thoughts are.

cheers

I just find it funny how when someone complains of their personal Toyota experience, it is labelled heresy and they must be lying.

So Realcars, you really must prove your statement when you said “I owned an 80 series twin cam Landcruiser and traded it with 100,000klms and reco power steering pump and reco cv seals on the front axle came under the regular servicing banner.”

The real threat will come from China, Korea, India in relation to plug in hybrids. For those of you who think the Chinese don’t have the pedigree to make a decent car … all I can say is they are mighty good at copying, have little regard for patents, and have already demonstrated an ability to do the impossible in building process plants, manufacturing facilities etc to a near world class standard for a fraction of the cost and time.

By 2010 I reckon they will have a commercially available sports car capable of sub 4 second 0-100 and it will be a plug in hybrid or straight electric car.

Only then will we be happy that you speak the truth. Believe us, we will be happy!

Oh What A Feeling … !!

If it only uses an electric engine then it’s no longer a hybrid.

Def^ “a composite of mixed origin”.

I don’t get why everyone is calling a car that has engines that run on a single type of fuel a hybrid.

LPG is a good alternative I agree, Hybrid -> full alternative is still early on the lifecycle, and as Jez pointed out its only going to get better and will lead to an alternative source which will outperform typical combustion engines.

Its good Toyota did their so called ‘marketing’ to get people onto the Hybrid scene, it makes other manufacturers get of they lazy asses and try to compete in the alternative market which will lead to innovations quicker.

Repeated brainwashed stat talk makes me think a very shelted childhood is seeping out..