Toyota Forum
06-11-2008, 06:58 PM
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative (http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/), Green (http://www.autoblog.com/category/green/), Toyota (http://www.autoblog.com/category/toyota/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/toyota_logo.jpg (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS01/80611032/1014)My fiance and my parents are both in the market for a new car, and they both want the Prius. Too bad, I told them, because there's a global shortage of nickel-metal hydride batteries (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/04/prius-sales-tank-in-may-toyota-blames-battery-supply/) that's crippling the supply of Toyota's feel good go machine. I didn't bother telling them that the Prius is essentially a relatively old vehicle by today's standards and that new green machines like the series hybrid Chevy Volt (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ChevyVolt/) and plug-in versions of the Saturn Vue Green Line and Ford Escape Hybrid are right around the corner. While the next-gen Prius is also right around corner (should debut in January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show (http://www.autoblog.com/category/Detroit-Auto-Show/), but will reportedly still use NiMH batteries), Toyota recently gave its word that it would also have a plug-in hybrid vehicle using lithium-ion batteries on sale in Japan, the U.S. and Europe by 2010. That's a bold claim, as few manufacturers have been so confident that production-viable li-ion batteries will be ready by then (General Motors being the notable exception). Toyota has partnered with electronics giant Matsushita, however, and their joint-venture will begin producing lithium-ion batteries in 2009 and ramp up to full production in 2010. Other than that, we know very little about Toyota's 2010 plug-in hybrid, other than that it should get great gas mileage. Toyota also announced that it's setting up a battery research department to develop a new type of battery that can even outperform li-ions. The point is, I'm not going to let my friends and family buy a Prius right now, or any other hybrid for that matter. There's too much next-gen green technology that's right on our door step, and when these green 2.0 vehicles arrive, the Prius will appear downright dirty by comparison.
[Source: The Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS01/80611032/1014)]
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/11/toyota-pledges-plug-in-hybrid-with-li-ion-batteries-by-2010/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1222230/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/11/toyota-pledges-plug-in-hybrid-with-li-ion-batteries-by-2010/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/11/toyota-pledges-plug-in-hybrid-with-li-ion-batteries-by-2010/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/toyota_logo.jpg (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS01/80611032/1014)My fiance and my parents are both in the market for a new car, and they both want the Prius. Too bad, I told them, because there's a global shortage of nickel-metal hydride batteries (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/04/prius-sales-tank-in-may-toyota-blames-battery-supply/) that's crippling the supply of Toyota's feel good go machine. I didn't bother telling them that the Prius is essentially a relatively old vehicle by today's standards and that new green machines like the series hybrid Chevy Volt (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ChevyVolt/) and plug-in versions of the Saturn Vue Green Line and Ford Escape Hybrid are right around the corner. While the next-gen Prius is also right around corner (should debut in January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show (http://www.autoblog.com/category/Detroit-Auto-Show/), but will reportedly still use NiMH batteries), Toyota recently gave its word that it would also have a plug-in hybrid vehicle using lithium-ion batteries on sale in Japan, the U.S. and Europe by 2010. That's a bold claim, as few manufacturers have been so confident that production-viable li-ion batteries will be ready by then (General Motors being the notable exception). Toyota has partnered with electronics giant Matsushita, however, and their joint-venture will begin producing lithium-ion batteries in 2009 and ramp up to full production in 2010. Other than that, we know very little about Toyota's 2010 plug-in hybrid, other than that it should get great gas mileage. Toyota also announced that it's setting up a battery research department to develop a new type of battery that can even outperform li-ions. The point is, I'm not going to let my friends and family buy a Prius right now, or any other hybrid for that matter. There's too much next-gen green technology that's right on our door step, and when these green 2.0 vehicles arrive, the Prius will appear downright dirty by comparison.
[Source: The Detroit Free Press (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS01/80611032/1014)]
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/11/toyota-pledges-plug-in-hybrid-with-li-ion-batteries-by-2010/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1222230/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/11/toyota-pledges-plug-in-hybrid-with-li-ion-batteries-by-2010/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/11/toyota-pledges-plug-in-hybrid-with-li-ion-batteries-by-2010/)