Friday May 25, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Toyota gets 180,000 orders for new Prius hybrid

Business Jun. 20, 2009 - 07:05AM JST ( 12 )

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12 Comments

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rajakumarJun. 20, 2009 - 08:53AM JST

This is good news for Toyota,there is a lot of money ,to make for them.
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mareo2Jun. 20, 2009 - 11:52AM JST

A more oil efficient car is good for our nation. Way to go to a more independient country.
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zurcroniumJun. 20, 2009 - 11:58AM JST

Wow, can you say good bye to the new GM and Fiat companies now?
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wanderlustJun. 20, 2009 - 01:22PM JST

Wonder how many were "compulsory purchases" from their own employees and managers?
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ebisenJun. 20, 2009 - 06:37PM JST

rajkumar - trust me, at that price TOyota isn't making any money out of their Prius sales.
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biglittlemanJun. 20, 2009 - 07:02PM JST

They can lease the technology to other car companies.
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TheQuestionJun. 20, 2009 - 10:29PM JST

Nothing against the company but I just don't understand the appeal of those things.
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sf2kJun. 21, 2009 - 04:39PM JST

The appeal? Easy. 50 mpg instead of 29 or 19 or less. 4.7 L/100km instead of 8 or more. I think the limit is 5.5 L/100km in Japan or getting there. Hybrids are more efficient use of energy. As gas prices go up, converting to plug-in hybrid will be even better. Plug in at night when energy is cheapest. Are these plug in hybrids or just another hybrid?

Hybrids are temporary vehicles though. If you thought there were physical restraints on oil. hence the hybrid revolution to begin with, lithium is even worse, so long range electric vehicles may have to be grid-connected vehicles (GCV) rather than fully battery or hybrid run. There is simply not enough lithium on earth to convert every car. Direct electricity is the best use with the lowest loss and fewest materials.

Instead then on a highway or main road you connect to the grid to drive and then have battery when you're off. Thus all electric, making for a lighter vehicle and without the expense of gas nor the restriction of lithium. I suspect GCV would be in Japan first when the time comes!

Electrovaya of Brampton Ontario, Canada has a nano-lithium battery the size of a shoebox that's equivalent to the Prius battery now, so weight would be quite light.
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dontpanicJun. 21, 2009 - 06:58PM JST

sf2k - I think youve misunderstood the meaning of grid connected vehicle. GCV essentially refers to vehicles that are connected to the electricity grid somehow, such as plug-in hybrids or plug-in battery cars. There is currently no way to connect any vehicle to the electricity grid while it's moving and I know of no research to do so. Unless someone can show otherwise?

Your points on the limitations of lithium are very valid though. In my opinion the way forward long term is to involve the oil companies in installing a hydrogen infrastructure so that we can switch to fuel cell vehicles and continue to motor in much the same way as we do now.
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TheQuestionJun. 22, 2009 - 11:10PM JST

sf2k, I don't particularly care for about mileage (I drove a 94 Buick up until the transmission went earlier this year). I'm talking about traction, when I'm not doing work abroad I live in Michigan where the roads are either iced over, burried under a foot and a half of snow, or washed away in the spring. And frankley I don't trust a, not quite, one and a half ton vehical to make it through that... or the deer I hit last year.
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usaexpatJun. 22, 2009 - 11:25PM JST

those are impressive sales for 1 month. I still don't see that many Prius around Kyushu, many more back in the US when I was home.
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motytrahJun. 23, 2009 - 12:29AM JST

Prius isn't a good GCV. It's electric motor isn't big enough. You have to accelerate insanely slow. It would be nice to see a Li-on Prius with electrics rated for 45+MPH. Weight of the larger motor would be offset by the much lighter Li-on batteries. But cost would certainly be greater. That being said, with 180K units per year they certainly have the quantity to carve out a "Premium" plug-in model that would cost much less than the Conversion Pruis and perform much better.