Bloomberg reported that Toyota may turn the Prius into a separate line of vehicles. The company is trying to triple its sale of hybrids. Prius-based models might include a wagon and a smaller car, said Jim Lentz, executive vice president of the company's U.S. sales unit.
Toyota plans to sell a million hybrids a year worldwide by early in the next decade. The U.S. accounts for over half of those sales and more than one model would be required to meet that goal. Last year they sold 235,000 hybrids worldwide, about four times as many as Honda Motor Co., which ranks second in hybrid sales.
A smaller " 'city car' based on the Prius would have even higher fuel efficiency and would fit with a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts" said Lentz. "People also want to see more utility on the vehicle, so you could imagine something that's a little more utility or crossover-based.''
The only question is where is the plug-in Prius.
Yep Jim. Plugin Toyota! Please!!
We are one short step from an initial real world solution to energy and climate problems. Plugin hybrids.
Hybrids are not really saving much gas or greenhouse gas emission.
Subaru's electric car might be the leap frog step right over plugin hybrids though.
Posted by: amazingdrx | November 04, 2006 at 11:15 AM
Hey Doc...
If you were to compare the Subaru's EV versus Phoenix Motorcars EV... which would you choose and why? I'm just trying to learn more about the different EVs and their capabilities.
Posted by: Jimmi | November 04, 2006 at 01:59 PM
It's going to be difficult to get the world's major auto manufacturers to produce pure EV's as long as the oil companies are able to lean on the them to not do so - see 'Who Killed the Electric Car'.
I think it's more likely that they will emaerge from Silicon Valley, perhaps in conjuntion with niche auto producers (like Tesla/Lotus).
That is as long as the public cares enough to make it sufficiently embarrasing for big oil if they try to put them out of business or just buy them out and kill it, which is the way they've mostly done it to date.
It's depresssing that neither Climate Change, Peak Oil nor National Energy Security seem to be an issue for Tuesday's vote. I would have thought that Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' or Friedman's 'Addicted to Oil' message might have got through by now.
Anyone care to comment?
....../Chris
Posted by: Chris | November 05, 2006 at 12:57 AM
Since Economics 101 states that human beings will
"maximize their utilities" , we will continue to
use cheap Arab oil ( I presently pay 1.96/gal for
regular which is a great bargain).
The only message i get from Al Gore is that he is
a completely unhinged buffoon.Only a mindless
lemming would follow this fool.
Since human beings are NOT responsible for
global warming, they are POWERLESS to stop it.
Posted by: RammsteinRocks | November 05, 2006 at 09:25 AM