Toyota Prius C

Car buyers should expect higher gasoline prices through July

Prius C supply shortages bad news as gas prices rise higher

Are dealer markups on hot hybrid cars next?

Here’s the good news. While rising gasoline prices are “a major problem” they should not be enough to derail the moderately improving economy Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told ABC’s Diane Sawyer, as long as problems with Israel and Iran don’t escalate much more.

Unfortunately, gasoline prices are primed to continue to rise well into July, and that will be a “major hardship for lots of people”. Read more…

Outselling the Toyota Prius with a cheaper Prius C

Early numbers indicate the Prius C is hot

Prius C off to a good start, but will it drive Toyota hybrid sales much higher?

A lot of hype on Friday over the first 3 days of Toyota Prius C sales. With 1200 units sold, the Prius C topped February sale’s totals for both the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, many pointed out. While that’s somewhat interesting, it’s not really surprising based on numerous consumer surveys.

The real benchmark is conventional Toyota Prius sales, followed by total Prius family sales. Read more…

Hybrid explosion when Toyota brings Prius production to US?

Time for US Prius production

A hybrid win for Ford as well?

If the Toyota Yaris hybrid is successful in Europe, Toyota plans to move Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain production to Europe. As a result, the production of batteries and other hybrid components would move from Japan to Europe, a move that would bring down hybrid costs in Europe according to some Toyota execs.

Based on sales so far in 2012, US Toyota Prius hybrid sales will hit the sale’s numbers necessary to bring localized hybrid powertrain production to the US — at least based on European metrics.

Isn’t it time to bring Prius production, and lower hybrid prices, to the US? Read more…

Urban Champ: New Toyota Prius C offers outstanding value

The subcompact cost-effective king for city drivers

It’s official. C hybrid should dominate city cost effectiveness

So, you need a new car, and you live in a city like Los Angeles, but you want to be as fiscally smart as possible. It’s all about the most bang for your buck. Of course, aside from automatic windows, locks and an automatic transmission, you insist on BlueTooth and USB connectivity as well – I mean, let’s be real.

Then the Toyota Prius C is the car for you. This new small and cheap hybrid car simply blows away the competition. Read more…

Forget Camry sales: Could the Prius be Toyota’s next Corolla?

The world's best selling car

Forget just US sales, let’s think worldwide

Before the end of this decade, Toyota believes the Prius family will outsell the Camry. Whatever. Why not shoot for the moon?

Within this decade, could a car like the Prius C help the family outsell the Corolla, and I mean in terms of total worldwide sales? Read more…

The “un-Prius-like” Toyota Prius C is sporty and fun to drive

The fun to drive "non-Prius-like" Toyota Prius

At least according to some early Prius C reviews

After more than 10 years on the market, hybrid cars have sadly achieved very little in terms of real world impact. At less than 3 percent marketshare of total US auto sales, hybrids are still just scratching the surface of change. Ultimately, prices have to come down.

That makes the sub-$19,000 smaller Toyota Prius C interesting, but now comes word that the Prius C isn’t even very Prius-like, except in terms of fuel economy. Instead, the new Prius C is “taut, sporty and, yes, even fun.”

Did someone just say Prius and fun? Read more…

100,000 Toyota Prius C hybrid car orders already in Japan

Cheaper hybrid price + gov incentives = Japanese Prius success

Tax incentives and cheaper hybrid costs working in the land of the rising sun

As the American press continues to sell the decline of hybrid sales in 2011, apparently unable to deduce that a massive earthquake and tsunami almost wiped out hybrid supplies coming out of Japan — the bulk of all hybrids made in the world — hybrid sales are exploding in places like Japan and Malaysia.

And already the new Toyota Prius C, or Aqua in Japan, is having a major imprint on the hybrid sale’s story. Read more…

Hybrid conundrum: Rare earth free but also cheaper?

A rare earth free electric motor

Rare earth free Toyota hybrids could be here in 2 years

I’ve been following the rare earth story now for a few years, since the resources are so valuable for the production of hybrid and plug-in cars. And it has always been clear that rare earth free hybrid cars are possible, but the real question has been the costs of rare earth free motors.

Thus, when reports hit the wire today that Toyota has developed a new technology to produce rare earth free hybrids, my interest was again piqued, but my focus was immediately magnified on costs. Read more…

2012 Hybrid cars: Has hybrid interest really declined?

The 2012 hybrid sales story is all about Toyota

Or was it all just about the Japanese supply disruption?

If you followed the hybrid headlines in 2011, you might believe the end must be near for hybrid cars, despite recent headlines — even from a major oil company — regarding the alleged massive upside potential of hybrids heading into the future.

Still, was hybrid interest really down in 2011? Or was the 2011 hybrid story one of shoddy journalism? More important, what story will 2012 hybrid cars sales tell? Read more…

$19,000 Toyota Prius C: Why buy a Corolla or other compact?

A real hybrid challenge to the compact segment

An interesting litmus test for Toyota hybrid cars

Do you really need battery technologies to achieve automotive success through the next decade? According to companies like Hyundai, the answer is no, although even Hyundai will admit that hybrids are still required even if just to maintain image and perception. And most automakers seem to agree, at least judging by the plethora of quality, non-hybrid compact offerings hitting the streets these days.

But the 53 mpg — city NOT highway — Prius C might make automakers rethink the value proposition of compact hybrids. Read more…