Toyota 2012: 6 new hybrids, 1 plug-in hybrid, and 2 EVs
Plug-in Prius to outsell conventional Prius by 2030
Plugging into Toyota’s hybrid focus
At a conference in Detroit last night, Toyota announced that 6 new hybrid cars would be launched in 2012, along with a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius, as well as two electric cars.
While most details have yet to be revealed, plug-in Prius pricing and a few predictions were also noteworthy.
Of the six new hybrid vehicles, at least one will be a dedicated hybrid, but few other details were provided. However, Toyota has been working on a smaller-than Prius hybrid, as well as a sporty hybrid. Additionally, Toyota has also modeled at least one hybrid pickup truck concept that almost went into production. Overall, however, most of this hybrid news isn’t that new.
On the more interesting side of this story, however, Takeshi Uchiyamada, executive vice president in charge of research and global vehicle development, stated that he believes that by 2030, hybrid cars will account for 30 percent of sales. While Toyota has forecast that number in the past, Uchiyamada believes that plug-in hybrids will account for the majority of hybrid sales by then.
Currently, according to the DetroitNews, the price of the plug-in Prius should come in around $3000 – $5000 more than a conventional car, which would put the price of the plug-in Prius near today’s conventional Prius price. While their might be some fuzziness around those numbers, that would put the price of a plug-in Prius at $25,000 or less, without any tax credits.
While Uchiyamada was less bullish on the viability of pure electric vehicles through at least the next decade, Toyota will still offer a small plug-in with 50 miles of EV range, as well as a Toyota RAV 4 plug-in with 100 miles of EV range before the end of 2012.
Additionally, Uchiyamada predicted that the auto industry would move beyond lithium, and that Toyota would begin leasing fuel cell vehicles by 2015 in areas with a hydrogen infrastructure in place.
You won’t ever regret the day that you decided to add one of these beauties to your home. Now that you’ve selected a premium custom pet food for your pet, and even boosted it with supplements, what are you going to serve Spot’s meals in. This is not a joke question.
i certainly wouldn’t be the farm on hydrogen, but it’s definitely still worthy of some scientific investigation, and I’d put more effort into fuel cells, especially fuel cells not so reliant upon hydrogen infrastructure.
enerdel put together a new company that makes a bigger battery volt like vehicle. however, instead of using batteries, they use a fuel cell with on-board gasoline reformer they claim is much more cost-effective than batteries and that’s still very early in development. obviously, it might evolve into nothing but vaporware, but its an interesting angle.
true, true. like we’ve said before, you never know when that kid in bumfuck, nebraska, wakes up with the next TA-DAA! idea.
i guess my secondary issue with hydrogen is that it’s a controllable commodity. even if embrittlement is resolved, how many people would put hydrogen fueling stations in their home? and if it relies on electrolysis for generation, why take the extra step?
these questions make it possible to put hydrogen production and distribute into the hands of just a given few and, bam!, we’re back in the same ballgame as we were with the oil companies.
at least electric has the possibilities of distributed generation or going completely off grid.
hell, maybe somebody will come up with a thorium reactor engine, or a micro-turbine EV concept, or some such. i don’t know. hell, i’m tired. where’s my damn beer?
Well, some of the new fuel cell research is moving beyond hydrogen in a number of different ways, so fuel cells might become independent of hydrogen. Plus, if we’re talking beyond lithium, we’re also probably talking about a few decades before viable for mainstreaming in battery-powered vehicles according to the research i’ve seen. that would still leave decades for science to crack the hydrogen nut.
The industry may move beyond lithium, but it ain’t gonna be hydrogen, kiddies. Not at least until they solve the embrittlement factor.