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Toyota to Move to All Hybrid Vehicles By 2012
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."
for this to become a reality. That 2012 deadline will likely be pushed back. Until they can get power output up Americans just aren't going to buy these things in droves. Then again, maybe Toyota is just tired of making all that money. >
Coupled with yesterdays news that gas mileage is continuing to drop in 2003 models, this is a great announcement.
Toyota's always been a visionary and hit the moving market targets well. Think back to the early-to-mid 80's, and you'll remember that they had great affordable sports cars (Celica, Supra) at exactly the time when sports cars were the rage. During the 90's, they let their sports cars get bloated, because the market was about luxury, and they axed the cars before they became jokes (think Camaro).
At the same time, in the early 90s, they were rolling out a big line of SUV's. Today, with SUV's all the rage, Toyota has models for everybody - the RAV4, the 4runner, the big Land Cruiser, the Highlander, you name it - plus all the models they sell under the Lexus brand.
If Toyota says their models will all be green-friendly in 2012, you'd better believe that they're going to be in the right place at the right time again, and green vehicles will be all the rage. Toyota does brilliant product planning.
What's your damage, Heather?
The American manufacturers will be the last to do something like this, because they understand what Americans like in vehicles. I want my sleek lines and throaty V8. I want a car that goes 79 mph down the road without a complaint about hills, and that has an extra 70 mph on top of that, at least 20 of which are right there when I ask for them in order to pass someone. I want a car that's fun to drive, with tight steering, hot acceleration, and good brakes. I want a car that's challenging and interesting to drive, with ABS and traction control that I can turn off when I feel the need to put new tires on. I want a car that expresses my personality. Or, on the other hand, I'd also love to have a truck that I can call a truck. Not a hybrid SUV. Not a POS. But a real pickup truck, like some manufacturers still make even if they forgot how for about 5 years in the mid- to late 90s. A truck with horsepower, heavy frame, fifth-wheel ball, easy-off tailgate, etc. - a truck that can haul or pull anything I throw at it within some semblance of reason.
These aren't possible with hybrids, at this point. When they are, then you'll see American vehicles with hybrid engines. But not beforehand, if they're real Americans.
Then let me rephrase: The current mindset that car manufacturers put into hybrid engine technology takes away its viability for use in sports cars and pickup trucks. (It's possible with hybrids, yes; but only possible if you put the right effort forth, which nobody appears to be doing, thus making it impossible.)
As to overcompensating for something, if you're trying to imply that the only use for a sports car or a pickup truck is as a penis extension, then you've had some kind of sick self esteem issues pounded into your head at some point. Face it, trucks are useful and sports cars are fun to drive. Why would I ever want to be bored when I could be excited, and the only necessary change is what car I'm in?
I want a car that expresses my personality.
There you have it... Proof that elaborate marketing campaigns work wonders.
my religion lies somewhere between buddhism and super monkey ball - pamphlet?
And why exactly do our roads need billions of dolalrs of upkeep a year??
Does my 1984 mazda 626 really cause that much damage to the roads? Or would 10,000 cars just like mine?
Nope. Big trucks. Big heavy ass trucks tear up the roads, and we the normal average Joe Gas-n-Go have to pay for it.
Maybe they should look at expanding the rail industry and put some serious detriments to shipping damn near everything by big rig. It would certainly make the roads alot safer, if not for the simply fact that I won't have to dodge the big chunks of retread tire these things flake off.
Remember, less trucks = safer roads, which is Good For The Children(TM).
I think what the American people like in their cars would come a distant 2nd place to the oil companies that would complain about the US gas guzzlers being removed. I dont understand how US cars seem to be just designed to drink fuel.
;) Honda hybrid-car for about half the price of an SUV... I get great gas mileage, it handles beautifully --- whats the problem? How does an oil company affect me making the decision to buy (or not to buy) a sensible car like this one? How was it that I somehow avoided their influence, whereas many others do not?
... Americans tend to want "bigger-better-more" ... The oil companies at capitalizing on this fact - but they are not the source of the problem.
Believe me, I have no love for the oil companies... And as a hybrid owner, I like to at least think that I care a little more about these issues than your average joe does, but I cant help but feel that simply blaming the oil companies is an oversimplification, and ultimately just an excuse.
If you look at the variety of cars that are available to consumers today, it is astounding... You have entire fleets of different types of gas-guzzling SUVs, mid-size cars, large cars, compacts, sub-compacts, jeeps, vans, sports cars, mini-sports cars, etc. For any one type of car, you literally have your choice from dozens, if not hundreds, of different models.
How then does it become the oil companies fault when people go out and actively purchase these monster SUVs? As I mentioned before, I bought an awesome (IMHO, at least
It would be one thing if the gas-guzzlers were cheaper than the fuel-sippers -- then you could argue that your average american simply could not afford to be environmentally responsible... but it is the other way around! In reality, this is a cultural problem
my religion lies somewhere between buddhism and super monkey ball - pamphlet?
The current mindset that car manufacturers put into hybrid engine technology takes away its viability for use in sports cars and pickup trucks. (It's possible with hybrids, yes; but only possible if you put the right effort forth, which nobody appears to be doing, thus making it impossible.)
Errrrm... I think that's sorta what Toyota's announcement is about: "We're going to put forth the effort to do this."
I take drugs seriously.