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Toyota to Move to All Hybrid Vehicles By 2012

Posted by michael on from the no-flying-cars dept.

ftumph writes "Toyota has announced that all their vehicles will be gas-electric hybrids by 2012. The plan is to eliminate the current $3,000 per vehicle additional cost for hybrid engines through mass production."

4 of 544 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Alot has to happen... by Obadusni · · Score: 5, Informative

    I own a Prius, and it actually has quite a bit of power. Not a sportscar, but substantially more power than my other car, a Toyota Echo. The continuous transmission helps. Rides nice, and I get just over 47 MPG.

  2. Not quite true... by Insightfill · · Score: 5, Informative

    As an Insight owner, I try to keep up with this stuff. Turns out Toyota has retracted that promise, saying that there was a "misinterpretation" on the Japanese end.

    Can't find the link, but here's the WSJ article re: same:

    Toyota Still Plans to Sell 300,000 Hybrid Vehicles a Year By 2005
    Friday October 25, 5:19 pm ET
    By Norihiko Shirouzu, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

    DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp. reaffirmed it aims to sell a total of 300, 000 super-efficient, electric-gasoline hybrid vehicles a year by 2005.

    Toyota's reaffirmation came in response to a news report earlier this week that said the auto maker plans to use hybrid engines in all vehicles by 2012 to increase fuel efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions. The report also said Toyota won't sell 300,000 hybrids annually until 2007.

    Kevin Webber, a Toyota spokesman in Ann Arbor, Mich., said the report was " inaccurate," which he said stemmed from a "misinterpretation" of comments in Japanese made by a Toyota executive.

    Mr. Webber said it is "technically infeasible" to use hybrid systems in all vehicles Toyota sells around the world in 10 years. He said Toyota continues to aim to sell 300,000 hybrids a year by about 2005.

    Last month, Toyota's president Fujio Cho said the No. 1 Japanese auto maker will expand its lineup of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles into larger vehicles, such as midsized sport-utility vehicles and minivans, as it tries to sell a total of 300,000 hybrids a year by 2005.

    Cho said Toyota "will expand hybrid systems into an array of models, including larger vehicles."

    Already, Toyota recently has begun selling in Japan a hybrid minivan called the Estima. In the U.S., Toyota currently sells only one hybrid, the small Prius car, while in Japan its lineup includes the Prius and a Crown luxury car equipped with a so-called "mild" hybrid system, in addition to the Estima.

    -Norihiko Shirouzu, The Wall Street Journal

    1. Re:Not quite true... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      I have a 2003 (brand new) civic hybrid. You might not ever see this post since it's AC, but here's what I can tell you. I think there's a reason that the batteries have a longer warranty than the car, and that's to instill some faith on the life of the batteries to the consumer becuase I think a lot of people have that concern. Remember when calculating savings (which at this point there really isn't any or much) to include the tax breaks you may get. I get the following with mine.

      1) I paid no sales tax at purchase
      2) I get a $2000 tax deduction this tax year from federal
      3) I get up to a $1350 tax *credit* from state of MD this year
      4) Many states will let hybrids in the HOV lanes no matter how many occupants there are
      5) Some states such as CO will let Hybrid owners use toll roads for free
      6) You just feel like a better person by driving one.. I can't explain it, but you do.

      CVT is fine, it's really the first time I had experienced it, but it works fine and makes a lot of sense. Remember that CVT wasn't introduced in the insights until recently, so he might not have it. Probably the biggest thing to get used to with the honda hybrids is when the engine shuts off when you pull up to a light. It's kind of neat though actually.. It gets VERY silent in the car, but it starts up fine when you let go of the break.. The battery acts as the starter. In fact it does that when you start the car up initially as well, it doesn't matter how long you hold the key in the starting position, it just starts automatically.

      I love mine so far. And some of the benefits and the feeling you get of owning one is/are quite good.

      I'm currently getting about 41MPG.. I've heard many times though that you don't start to see the 47MPG figure until the engine gets a little 'worn in', or perhaps it's really until you adapt your driving style. Trust me, with the ASST/CHRG indicator on your dashboard.. It WILL change the way you drive :).. It becomes a competition with yourself to improve your gas mileage.

      This post was a bit of a jumbled mess, but I hope it helped you out.

      Cheers,
      -JD-

  3. Re:This is good news, but costs far outweigh benef by jo.cool · · Score: 5, Informative

    the hybrid cars of today require you to change the batteries every 3 yrs and
    it costs $6000-7000 to replace them and they are not as powerful now. But maybe
    all this will change by 2012.

    Where'd you get that information?? Honda is giving an 8-year 80K mile warranty on its Hybrid batteries. Their claim is replacement at around 10 years, and about $1000 at today's prices ($1K price told to me by a Honda dealer), which will probably come down as the first hybrids need their replacements.