Toyota lays down hybrid gauntlet

Toyota lays down hybrid gauntlet

Pivotal battle with GM on horizon; Toyota says it will beat CAFE deadlines

Mark Rechtin Automotive News January 13, 2008 - 9:56 pm ET Toyota President President Katsuaki Watanabe says the automaker will not wait for the latest CAFE standards deadline.

DETROIT - In an escalating war of green-fuel rhetoric, Toyota Motor CEO Katsuaki Watanabe laid forth several bold moves for the automaker in the next several years. In a speech delivered here Sunday evening, Watanabe proclaimed that Toyota will: -- Deliver lithium-ion hybrid vehicles to demonstration fleets in 2010. These vehicles include plug-in hybrids that already have been under development. Toyota, in fact, already has two plug-in prototype vehicles in demonstration tests with the University of California, but they have lower-tech nickel-metal-hydride battery packs. -- Unveil new hybrid models for the Toyota and Lexus brands at the 2009 Detroit auto show. These will be production vehicles in addition to the Prius, and will be offered only with hybrid powertrains. -- Increase investment in cellulosic ethanol derived from wood waste, through a Toyota affiliated company. -- Launch clean-diesel V-8 versions of the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV within the next 24 months. -- Expand the Panasonic joint-venture battery factory, adding an assembly line dedicated to automotive battery applications. -- Sell 1 million hybrid-powered vehicles by 2011 or 2012. -- Meet the CAFE standard of a 35 mpg vehicle fleet " well in advance" of the 2020 regulation's start.

Watanabe outlined these advances in rough form, but well-placed Toyota sources advanced his general remarks with specifics. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity, so as not to upstage Watanabe's announcement.

Although General Motors has announced similar targets for lithium-ion and cellulosic ethanol technologies, it is doing the research through small or start-up companies that are not connected to GM. Watanabe said Toyota will do the r&d in-house, which he said would be " faster and more efficient."

Regarding CAFE, Watanabe said " we will not wait until the deadline to comply" with the regulations.

Reply to
Ed White
Loading thread data ...

Outstanding! The prius has been a great step forward in hybrid technology, and it is good to see that Toyota is continuing to lead the way. Hopefully this move will further force companies like Ford and DaimlerChrystler to rethink their business strategies and start making safe, affordable, fuel-efficient cars. We will see.

Reply to
Andy

CLEAN diesel??? Yeah, right. No such thing. They just end up emitting invisible, tiny particles which are STILL carcinogenic and, because of their small size, get much further into your lungs before lodging in place.

Reply to
sharx35

If that is what you believe why does Ford have the best selling hybrid SUVs ?

Reply to
Mike hunt

Actually Ford licenses Toyota's hybrid technology. In return Toyota gets to use Ford's gasoline direct injection technology (GDI). Now there's a discount with the Toyota system because the competition is out. We'll see if the two-mode system from the GM-BMW-Mercedes Global Hybrid Cooperation project, Automobile Magazine's 2008 Technology of the Year, will be the most efficient hybrid system in the world:

formatting link

Reply to
johngdole

But in my view the Prius is just for shows. I mean, Tata's recently unveiled Nano gets 54MPG on a gas engine, and it's only $2500, if you really want to save gas AND money.

formatting link

Reply to
johngdole

The Prius isn't just for show. Prius is classed as a mid-size family sedan, not so the nano, and anyone who has ridden in a prius can attest to its deceptivly larger than the eye beholds actual interior room. What about safety, how about emmisions? Reliability and longevity? Consumer reports or similar mag just recently published the prius as the "most loved" car by purchasers. Most likely to be recommended by owners. Tata nano should be renamed tsk tsk no-no unless seriously restricted in speed and other traffic around it and regardless would never be allowed in the USA (certainly car markets are bigger than the US, but this is one instance where it doesn't meet safety std's and shouldn't be allowed in for that failing grade alone). My wife and I were talking about it. If every other car was a nono, with a max speed in city of 25 or less, then maybe. Still I would expect a total loss if I hit a NYC sized pot-hole. Otherwise I'd be safer surfing/being pulled from a cars bumper with a pair of rollerblades on with taco bell as fuel instead of from the pump in a no-no.

Reply to
Ward

Make that $2,500 in INDIA, where the average person lives on $1 a day LOL

formatting link

Reply to
Mike hunt

Per capita income is $1089, which is like $3 per day. And the purchasing power parity in India is over $4000.

The per capita income in the US is around $30,000, so the average person in India has about 1/7 the purchasing power as the average person in the US.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.