Fusion smackdown: Lithium to power Camry hybrid soon
The perfect Toyota hybrid for lithium?OK. This is pure speculation. Nonetheless, there was a time when Toyota had verbally committed to putting lithium-ion batteries into the third generation Prius.
Then a few cell phones and laptops blew up. But, that wasn't all that happened to stymie lithium Prii.
Gas prices began to spike and Toyota Prius demand went through the ceiling. Imagine making your first lithium hybrid roll out in a car with such huge production numbers, demand, and expectations. One bad thermodynamic event and the king of hybrid cars drops from first to last. Hence, Toyota indicated that the first Toyota lithium hybrid might be a Lexus.
Screw Lexus. Now that Ford has rolled out the Ford Fusion hybrid, Toyota needs to send a strong response.
Thus, if Toyota is to keep its hybrid edge, I can think of no better entry point today for lithium than the Camry hybrid. Ford has put a shot off Toyota's hybrid bow. Now it's time for Toyota to fire back, if they can.
Labels: Ford fusion hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota camry hybrid, toyota prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
10:45 AM
4 Comments:
How about Obama people being more aggressive with its CREDIT/REBATE plans...let them last longer, and offer larger amounts...that would go a LONG way to induce the average joe to plunk down 28k or so for midsized hybrid........
look at germany.. it has one of the highest electric rates in world yet it offers phenomenal credits/rebates for solar for homes so it evens out .....and country is almost at 20% total solar now !
:)
you're preaching to the choir with that statement.
imagine prius and insight sales if a $3,000 tax credit existed. even in this recession you wouldn't be able to keep up with demand, which is why the credit doesn't exist. it supports foreign automakers too much.
i understand that sentiment, although i don't fully support it, but why not offer the tax credit for toyota's and honda's built in the US, for instance?
thus, i agree 100 percent that a more aggressive, and cost-friendly to the average auto consumer plan is in order.
for instance $7500 tax credits for $40,000 and $50,000 EVs. what percentage of Americans can even afford these vehicles after the tax credits?
seems focused on the wrong end, aside from the help it gives to the US battery industry, which is important. but i'd like to see the government help average consumers get into more efficient vehicles immediately.
First of all, when has motor trend EVER gotten anything close to the EPA mileage for the cars they test?! Next, you guys make a terrible assumption that people won't change their driving behavior when behind the wheel of these things. Sport driving enthusiasts these cars' target market is not!! You should evaluate them like the buyers shopping them would. Frankly, I'm sick of you guys comparing everything to a Ferrari. That being said, great job Ford! This car is definitely a winner, even if the sticker price is slightly higher than the Toyota's the tax credit should bring it close or even lower than the Toyota. Toyota's tax credit expired last year.
do you drive a hybrid?
I do. I have been driving them for years. I know many that have been driving hybrids for years, so I think I have a pretty good idea of how people drive hybrids.
More important, eventually - hopefully - Ford will be able to sell more than 30,000 of these hybrids per year.
If not, then they irrelevant. If they do, then many people will drive these hybrids just like a conventional vehicle.
finally, who the hell is comparing everything to a ferrari?
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