Japanese automaker Toyota (NYSE: TM) stole the hybrid vehicle marketing limelight years ago with its Prius passenger car -- you know, the one that has a gas mileage figure of over 50 miles per gallon. Due to combining a smaller gasoline engine with an electric motor, the smaller car has a remarkable fuel efficiency rating, and the word of mouth that started selling the Prius to ecologically-aware consumers and assorted environmentally-conscious folks was like a wildfire in the passenger car market. The waiting line to buy one was half a year in many cases.Although many detractors say the Prius' claimed gas mileage is not what it's cracked up to be, the popularity contest has already been won. The next step for Toyota would be to make the nameplate in an all-electric fashion instead of a hybrid design that still uses gasoline. The trouble is, no company can produce an all-electric car that has the same amenities as the modern internal combustion vehicle: range, comfort, size, price and design. If anyone can ever make this a reality, though, it would be Toyota (although an effort is still plenty of years off).
Until then, perhaps the automaker is looking at plug-in electric hybrid vehicles for Act II of its hybrid car marketing strategy? At the recent Tokyo Auto Show, Toyota showed off designs that use a hybrid propulsion system that contains a larger battery, allowing the vehicle to travel short distances at highway speeds powered by the electric motor alone, instead of the motor just being used in city stop-and-go traffic. The battery pack would need recharging at night, instead of being charged by regenerative braking like in current designs, but all things considered, this would be the next step to an all-electric design that uses little to no internal combustion (or gas). Whoever gets there first will hold the holy grail of sales to customers needing smaller passenger cars. General Motors (NYSE: GM) isn't sitting still at all, though.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-29-2007 @ 3:10PM
jay dickstein said...
apropos to your blog...
have a look at altair nanotech...
ticker simple "alti"...nasdaq...
read about the company...
I'll say no more...
10-29-2007 @ 4:22PM
Don Martin said...
Just as an aside regarding the complaints about the Prius gas mileage...
It depends entirely upon how the vehicle is operated. There is easily a 10 MPG differential between my driving and my wife's driving. It comes down to making the most of the advantages of the hybrid technology. The brake regeneration appears to be most efficient when you can anticipate and make a slow, gentle stop as opposed to jumping on the brakes 30 feet away from a stop light or sign. Rolling stops through quiet intersections, while not the safest habit in the world, help add to its fuel economy, too.
Finally, highway speeds affect its economy. The mileage really starts to drop off when you exceed 62-64 MPH. Drive the vehicle like a miser and it'll easily do low to mid-50s MPG. Hot rod with it, and you'll get low 40s.
10-29-2007 @ 6:28PM
Kent Beuchert said...
Toyota's attmept to describe their future plans
with respect to plug-ins has been an unmitigated fiasco. This article's happy talk make it sound as though Toyota is a competitior in this arena. They are not and have even takento claiming that GM can't produce a 40 mile range plug-in at an affordable price. That's not only totally false, but now BYD of China clais their plug-in will debut next year, three full years before any Toyota plug-in comes to markett, and with 60 MILES of driving range and a price tag thousands below Toyota's conventional hybrid and a battery pack that looks
to be cheap and last well beyond 120,000 miles.
The car has styling light years ahead of the frumpy Prius and will crucify the Prius if they both appear in the same market. After seeing the Prius and the Chevy VOLT, I wouldn't give the Prius a second (or first) look. If Toyota thinks they can keep up in the plug-in world, they have given no evidence to
support their claim. They have become a victim of their own success and got lazy and arrogant and never hooked up with a battery maker. Toyota is toast.
10-30-2007 @ 12:26AM
G Wally said...
Toyota has a strong brand that they have earned through the years. I only buy Toyota or European vehicles. How can anyone trust the little three any more when they continuous fight any federal or state initiatives to increase fuel efficiency. Boneheads thinks the company that brings us the 9 mile per hour Hummer can actually build anything that people want. Didn't Ford and GM ridicule Toyota for attempting to build the hybrid ? Any who killed the electric car btw ?
10-30-2007 @ 12:28AM
G Wally said...
make that 9 miles per US gallon..
10-30-2007 @ 9:09AM
brendan C said...
More propaganda to knock off on Hybrids, if the lining of automakers pockets to make more efficient gas guzzlers and less green cars/penny pinching(money not going back to oil investment cars). was not so big , because currently 280 million(at least) is the profit big oil is making so you better believe they are behind the stagnation of the switch, there is so much consumer momentum now behind getting a hold of a green car that oils attempts now are so pathetic and obvious to keep us a way from them, keep your eyes peeled and SAY NO TO OIL!!!!
4-20-2008 @ 8:59PM
turck dude said...
I have an F-150 on a lease. All I can say is thank god I leased this gas guzzling hog. My next car in April 09 when my lease expires is going to be an electric car weather it's chinese or japanese. I hope the big 3 auto makers in america go out of business they are in bed with the govt which in turn encourages big oil and making gas guzzling vehicles to line thier own pockets. I will never pay for gas as long as I live and am taking a new direction to help save our environment. Everyone needs to open their eyes and change their ways starting ASAP so that our grand children don't pay the price down the road.
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34 year old from minnesota