"...On Jan. 13 [Toyota] will take the wraps off yet another vehicle that could have embattled American automakers scrambling to catch up. A new concept truck, dubbed A-BAT, will make its debut...at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. And there's a twist: The tough-looking pickup packs a hybrid gas-electric power supply to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy...."
Business Week article:
You mean like the Chevy Silverado that debuted in 2004?
Whitelightning
UGLY!
ugly doesn't even begin to describe it.
It's also not even close to being a truck
Not really the same. The Silverado is actually a truck. And it doesn't really get very good gas mileage.
The size of a Rav 4, and able to fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Although it's one of the ugliest cars I've seen, both inside and out, I bet it appeals to a certain segment. I wonder how long it would take the camper manufactures to design a topper for it and how much uglier that would make it.
It's shape resembles the Honda Ridgeline.
That is not a TRUCK, that is a warthog, amalgamated with an Avalanche with a touch of Darth Vader thrown in.
Ugly doesn't quite describe it, it is worse.
But, knowing American consumers, it will sell.
George
Nomen Nescio wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@dizum.com:
New BATmobile ?
I can actually see why it would sell. I like my F-150 4x4, but it sucks gas at an incredible rate. For people who need to haul some fairly small items on a frequent basis, that won't easily fit in an SUV or mini-van, this thing would work really well.
To simply dismiss this, demonstrates why Toyota has been kicking Detroit's butt. There are a lot of people who are likely to want something like this because they are not towing anything heavy enough to need a full size pickup like I own.
I tried to go truckless for 4 years, using a Subaru Outback and 4x8 open trailer, and it worked really well. The low and easy to load trailer, which only cost $400 brand new @ Lowes, did a great job with large appliances, riding mowers, full sheets of plywood and MDF, and large cast iron (6-800 pound) woodworking tooling. A bonus for the trailer was the easy access to far more tie-down points than a pickup. The Subie could also carry 11 ft. boards and pipes inside, protected from weather. My truck can't do that, but most SUV's and mini-vans can. That car was also far better in snow than any 4x4 truck, or the Wranglers I've owned. In anything that didn't require 4WD low, it was spectacular.
What brought the truck back to me was a bigger trailer.
I see a lot of people think its ugly, but personally, I think it looks pretty cool. It'd be perfect for my needs. I drive a '96 T100 single cab now, but I can't fit my whole family in it. I love that its green, too. I think it will sell.
I agree. Just what the hell is that thing?? And all the yellow trim on it makes it look like a Tonka toy. I wouldn't want all that stuff on my truck.
I don't think it can get much uglier than it is....
Green is relative.... The batteries for these Hybrids are made in canada, where for 1000 yards around the plant nothing grows due to the chemicals that make up the batteries....The amount of Fuel used to ship the chemicals and raw materials for the batteries to canada, and then the fuel used to ship the comleted units to Japan outweight your 2% fuel savings over the life of the vehicle....
Source, please? Why would Toyota, which has perfectly capable battery manufacturers nearby, use Canadian batteries?
Source, please?
And of course you can produce the numbers to support this contention.
I believe that if you actually investigate instead of relying on what somebody told you you will find that the "plant" in question is the International Nickel Company (which is _not_ owned by Toyota) mine and refining plant in Sudbury that has been producing a high percentage of the nickel used in the world since 1870, and that most of the environmental damage occurred prior to 1970 when there was a major cleanup of the plant. Further, if you find the Sudbury plant on Google Earth and measure the distance to the nearest tree you will find that it is about 100 yards away.
What do _you_ think should be done to address energy consumption and pollution by automobiles?
Since Nickel is not mined in Japan in any quantity, how do you think it gets there??? Just like steak, shipped and marked up... Currently the charge is usually under 100 USD a ton... but they use Diesel engines.... that have no emmission controls... for thousands of miles at a time....crossing oceans,.....
Here are your cites: " The battery pollution is substantial because the creation of the batteries requires destructive mining to produce the batteries and the caustic substances that power the batteries must later be disposed of. The caustic substances that power the batteries are very poisonous and when released into the environment leech into the waterways and poison groundwater. "
Here is how Nickel Ore is processed: http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:2QoQUaj8jVMJ:
Nice healthy chemicals (Sulfuric Acid) are used to get the nickel out..... So healthy, in fact that Chroming is actaully so regulated now(similar process and chemicals used) that many small shops can no longer do it....
I wonder what the Sulfur dioxide thats pumped into the environment to process this ore for batteries does.... Oh...I know....ACID RAIN:
Well, put simply, most people point to Bio-deisel... See, electric cars would be nice, but that means pluggin into yer house, which gets power from the COAL plants....More bad air .... Hydrogen would be nice too---but it is not cost effective to release the H from the "Two O"....
So biodeisel would be a good start.
So what does that work out to in energy cost?
So do you have numbers for emissions per ton mile for diesel powered merchant ships? And what exempts ships carrying nickel from Canada to Japan from MARPOL Annex VI?
I see no numbers. Define "substantial".
At what location is it "pouring"?
In your opinion.
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:2QoQUaj8jVMJ:
What makes you think that mining a tone of nickel ore destroys a ton of environment? Seems to me that if nickel is so all fired horrible then perhaps the local environment is being improved by its removal.
You'd be happier if it was hydrochloric? How much of that sulfuric acid leaves the refinery? I don't want to see "lots" or "too much" or some other bogus appeal to emotion, I want to see a number and a percentage of total sulfuric acid production.
What, exactly, do you think that electroplating has to do with the production of nickel? Yet another irrational appeal to emotion.
Exactly how much sulfur dioxide would that be? Again I want to see a number, not an irrational appeal to emotion.
What percentage of people is "most"? How much acreage has to be devoted to the production of bio-diesel to meet the demand? What are the environmental costs of the production of bio-diesel? How much synthetic fertilizer and how many tons of pesticides have to be applied each year?
Care to compare the pollution numbers from coal fired baseload power plants to those of automotive diesel engines producing the equivalent amount of energy?
Neither is biodiesel.
And where is the end?
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