Toyota Cares
26 Jun, 2007
15 Comments 
Toyota have announced they will introduce a second brand dedicated to producing hybrid vehicles by 2009. The car maker has big hopes for hybrid technology - and rightly so - expecting to reach 100,000 sales per year, with a further one million units per year when the hybrid brand is in full swing by 2010.
With an increasing amount of people opting to purchase hybrid cars - their metaphorical red cape - the Prius is no longer a category in itself when it comes to saving the world. It is undergoing a major revamp with three distinct models due in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Presumably this will entail basic, sports and luxury variants to the Prius line, further expanding greener options for eager buyers.
Masatami Takimoto, VP in charge of powertrain development made a bold statement claiming that hybrids would account for “100 percent” of Toyota’s cars by 2020.
George Skentzos
Source: MotorAuthority
Location: Home / Toyota, Hybrid, Car News / ...
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June 26th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Good strategic thinkin by Toyota… hybrids / hydrogen cell are the future, while GM are producing ‘more economical’ V8s Toyota are developing this new technology and now providing a specific brand for it.
My only hope is that the new Pris actually looks half decent this time, just becaues its a Hybrid doesnt mean it has to look fugly.
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June 26th, 2007 at 9:15 am
That’s interesting,
I would have thought a better idea was to add hybrid engines to their already full lineup.
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June 26th, 2007 at 9:30 am
I am yet to be convinced that hybrids are less of an impact on the environment than a regular car.
What happens to the battery when it’s stuffed? It has to be shipped to Japan for recycling. Who pays for this? A) The nutter who is silly enough to pay $40000 for a Corolla size car with said battery, and B) the nutter who buys one second hand just before the battery needs replacing.
So you pay twice the price for the car, get between the same economy (highway) and twice the economy (city), and then pay a savage exit fee when selling.
Not to mention the car is ugly.
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June 26th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Even star AFL footballers have been roped into this scam. Chris Judd from the West Coast Eagles drives a blue one (with beige trim - bleh !).
Use more resources to make, recycling issues, extra costs of batteries to replace and fuel economy worse than a diesel car of the same size (or bigger !!!) - what a joke Toyota !
Now if this technology was to achieve 100mpg it may be worth looking at but anyone who buys one is a idiot…
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June 26th, 2007 at 11:18 am
I could imagine Judd driving a Prius, couldn’t imagine the ex-captain Cousins driving one unless it was injected with steriods or something. I think he drives a Merc M-Class.
Heaps of A-grade Hollywood Celebs drive Prius’
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June 26th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Being an avid young Eagles Supporter, gibe Judd a break (that is if you are attacking him in the first place). He is seriously, one of the most admirable people I’ve met. He got an average of over 95% in his year 12 exams in the year 2001, in the past 5 years he has transformed himself into the best AFL player, and is employed on some I.T. board, and could afford a better car than say Barvarian Missile’s impressive M3 and range of cars, and he is a journalist. Being 15 years old, for me that is a lot to aspire too, kind of why I study so flipping hard, even though I’m in lame year 10. Back to the cars, he bought the Prius to replace his HSV, LOL!
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June 26th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Plus, the club is sponsored by Toyota, so he probably gets it free of charge, I’d be asking for an IS-F (in the future) or a Lexus 600h if I were him, but it’s his decision, and he doesn’t exactly need to wory about cars anyway,
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June 26th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Lol replaced a HSV. On a flip side at least he gets literally 1/4 the fuel efficiency.
As for issues raised, well I just think that reducing emmission substantially and increasing fuel efficiency outweighs any issues… hypothetically if everyone drove one the air would be alot cleaner! And anyway its a stepping stone towards better technology, maybe eventually have cars running 100% on battery rather then on and off… with 0 emmission. Although I must say I like the direction Honda are taking, not sure if Toyota has any research into it, but hydrogen cell from what Ive seen looks promising. Supposedly Honda are releasing a production version in the U.S by 2010!
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June 27th, 2007 at 1:41 am
My GF’s grandparents have a Prius. It’s plain on the outside but inside looks ultra-modern. It has a large LCD touch screen which among other things tells you how much petrol the car is consuming. Normally it only uses about 5 litres per 100km and while cruising around 60kph or slowing down it usually ONLY uses electricity. The ride is very comfortable and super quiet.
New sporty hybrids should be here soon such as the flagship Lexus IS 600H which goes from 0-100kph in around 5 secs (No doubt in full petrol mode). Normal driving will consume 10L per 100kms which is amazing for a large decked out luxury sedan with excellent engine performance.
In summary there’s no excuse for everyone in the western world to drive anything but a hybrid (or similar) in the next few years.
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June 27th, 2007 at 7:06 am
Turbo Diesel hybrid makes more sense. Small diesel engine, a large lump of torque. And these days turbo diesels make the same kW as petrol engines, but usually with double the torque.
The only thing I never hear talked about is how the engine handles being constantly started up and stopped all the time. And the battery used to start it, along with running the car. The heating up of the cat-converter. During a trip does the engine even hit operating temperature? Wouldn’t this mean the engine oil getting moisture and becoming mayonnaise? The engine running rich because it’s cold and needs the more fuel and air to idle?
I’m sure Honda and Toyota have it right. But I tend to think about these things. And they’re not readily documented… not that I’ve spent a great deal of time looking.
Steve
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July 14th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Paul: “My only hope is that the new Pris actually looks half decent this time, just becaues its a Hybrid doesnt mean it has to look fugly.”
The Prius is designed in such a way that it maximizes aerodynamic efficiency. The teardrop shape resembles a plane’s wing and allows the car to slice through the air.
The normal sedan shape seen on the Camry creates turbulence and drag.
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July 14th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
The Prius doesn’t make much sense as an economy car because its price puts it in the premium car category. In the same way you wouldn’t use an economic argument to purchase a Mercedes you wouldn’t use an economic argument to buy the Prius because of its high initial purchase price.
The Prius is supposed to be friendlier for the environment due to its very low fuel consumption. You can achieve better fuel consumption in a Honda Insight or a push bike but the Prius is a practical mid-sized car whereas the Insight and push bike may be hard to live with.
Any initial high energy costs from making the Prius is compensated for in the long run by the fuel economy when you drive the car. Peer reviewed scientific studies has confirmed the Prius’s green credentials.
Batteries in a Prius are expected to last the life of a car and chances are they will last longer than the transmission would on most cars. There are Priuses in existence that have clocked up over 250,000 miles.
The Prius also has five-star crash test rating from Euro NCAP.
Chris Judd isn’t the only guy who drives one. So does Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd. In America, Harrison Ford drives one. Prince Charles apparently has one as well. Of course, you shouldn’t drive it just because the rich and famous are.
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September 19th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
“There are Priuses in existence that have clocked up over 250,000 miles.”
I think you’ll find they have done a lot more than that. I’ve heard of some exceeding 500,000 km which is over 310,000 miles.
But be realistic when trying to talk it up, if you are a greenie you wont have driven anywhere near that far in the time prius’ have been on the market. If you are driving that much then you’re not taking the environment seriously.
Also the fuel economy isn’t that great. A survey of hybid owners said 88% of them were dissappointed with their cars fuel consumption. Figures in a pamphlet and the real world are completely different.
It has a minor improvement over a normal car, and most of the difference comes from the stupidly ugly aerodynamics and regenerative braking, not the engine system. Aerodynamic principles can be applied to any car and different foms of regenerative braking are now making their way into other non-hybrid vehicles.
If you want to talk about efficiency and the environment the main thing you have to look at is the engine. About 80% of the energy in the fuel is lost as heat. Saving a few percent on aerodynamics, or recovering a few percent on regenerative braking is quite pointless when considering an 80% loss before you even start.
If Toyota plan to go 100% hybrid then they will go 100% broke, or they will have to make 100% of their sales to very stupid people. Luckily for Toyota stupid people make up the majority of the population, so they may just survive.
Either that or they are just saying they will go 100% hybrid to talk themselves up. Now, I’ve never heard of anyone in advertising or political campaigns lying, have you?
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September 20th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
“just becaues its a Hybrid doesnt mean it has to look fugly.”
I think you’ll find it does, for two reasons.
Firstly a hybrid is a statement, so it’s design has to match it’s message. If it had bonnet scoops and big wings it would lose credability.
Secondly, a hybrid isn’t actually half as good as people would have you believe. If you took away the aerodynamic design it would end up using more fuel than many cars of a similar size.
The greater the load on the motor, the faster the batteries discharge. The faster the rate of discharge the less efficient the batteries become. Because the car is already carrying around the added weight of a secondary propulsion system it can’t afford to waste even the smallest percentage of energy on something like an attractive design.
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January 14th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
The Prius is a great car. The amazing thing is that the most advanced transmission system offered by any motor manufacturer in quantity, is for sale at a price a normal mortal may aspire to.
Did you know that most cars slow down by rubbing friction materials together, grinding them and making them hot??! Talk about your stone age technology! Now that I have a Prius, everything else seems well out of date.
But it does make you hungry for a MORE electric car. Electric traction is a really sweet thing. The Prius has limited electric-only capability. Such a pity you can’t get a 100 kWhr battery in 40 litres volume and under 100 kg weight.
Others have commented that the body is ugly. I think the rear is unappealing, and the Honda hybrid-lite is better looking, but I’m getting used to it, and as the shape contributes to its low drag coefficient, then I’m officially pleased with the way it looks!
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