Toyota Prius could become full-line vehicle

[NFS4]

Toyota is intent on tripling the amount of hybrid-electric vehicles it?s currently selling in the US, and is aiming to sell one million hybrid cars world wide early next decade. To achieve this goal, the company could turn its Prius hybrid into a full range of Prius based vehicles that could include a wagon and minicar. Jim Lentz, Toyota?s executive vice president of the company?s U.S. sales unit, has mentioned that the US will account for half of the expected one million annual sales of Toyota hybrids in an interview to Bloomberg.

To be able to do this, Toyota will require several derivatives of the Prius, which could include a smaller ?city car? that would fit with ?a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,? Lentz said. Apparently, there?s also demand for hybrid utility vehicles and we may see a new crossover version in the new future. However, Lentz added that ?the company doesn?t have any plans to do that right now.?

Toyota has been aggressive in its promotion of hybrid vehicles, and executive at its luxury division Lexus have expressed an interest in moving towards a full hybrid range.

http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyo...-prius-could-become-full-line-vehicle/

 

[z0mb13]

I sure hope they are praying gas will go back above 3 bucks a gallon

 

[J Heartless Slick]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I sure hope they are praying gas will go back above 3 bucks a gallon

It will.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I sure hope they are praying gas will go back above 3 bucks a gallon

Might not have to. The scare might be enough considering people remember buying hte huge suv's before gas was $3 a gallon and started freaking out once it hit $3.

 

[Lithium381]

i wish my suburban were hybrid.....12mpg psh

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Toyota is intent on tripling the amount of hybrid-electric vehicles it?s currently selling in the US, and is aiming to sell one million hybrid cars world wide early next decade. To achieve this goal, the company could turn its Prius hybrid into a full range of Prius based vehicles that could include a wagon and minicar. Jim Lentz, Toyota?s executive vice president of the company?s U.S. sales unit, has mentioned that the US will account for half of the expected one million annual sales of Toyota hybrids in an interview to Bloomberg.

To be able to do this, Toyota will require several derivatives of the Prius, which could include a smaller ?city car? that would fit with ?a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,? Lentz said. Apparently, there?s also demand for hybrid utility vehicles and we may see a new crossover version in the new future. However, Lentz added that ?the company doesn?t have any plans to do that right now.?

Toyota has been aggressive in its promotion of hybrid vehicles, and executive at its luxury division Lexus have expressed an interest in moving towards a full hybrid range.

http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyo...-prius-could-become-full-line-vehicle/

I'm surprised it took this long. Hybrids are the future. The prius has always been more suited to city driving.

 

[j00fek]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Toyota is intent on tripling the amount of hybrid-electric vehicles it?s currently selling in the US, and is aiming to sell one million hybrid cars world wide early next decade. To achieve this goal, the company could turn its Prius hybrid into a full range of Prius based vehicles that could include a wagon and minicar. Jim Lentz, Toyota?s executive vice president of the company?s U.S. sales unit, has mentioned that the US will account for half of the expected one million annual sales of Toyota hybrids in an interview to Bloomberg.

To be able to do this, Toyota will require several derivatives of the Prius, which could include a smaller ?city car? that would fit with ?a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,? Lentz said. Apparently, there?s also demand for hybrid utility vehicles and we may see a new crossover version in the new future. However, Lentz added that ?the company doesn?t have any plans to do that right now.?

Toyota has been aggressive in its promotion of hybrid vehicles, and executive at its luxury division Lexus have expressed an interest in moving towards a full hybrid range.

http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyo...-prius-could-become-full-line-vehicle/

:thumbsup:

 

[nakedfrog]

They should make the wagon such that it can hold 4x8' sheets with the rear seats folded down.

 

[Aimster]

Is it possible for Toyota to add more batteries into the Prius to get more MPG?

I remember a thread where a guy was getting 100MPG by adding more batteries to his Prius. Toyota should do the same.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Apparently, there?s also demand for hybrid utility vehicles and we may see a new crossover version in the new future.

http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyo...-prius-could-become-full-line-vehicle/
[/quote]

well wtf is the highlander hybrid?

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: NFS4
Apparently, there?s also demand for hybrid utility vehicles and we may see a new crossover version in the new future.

http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyo...-prius-could-become-full-line-vehicle/

well wtf is the highlander hybrid?[/quote]

A waste of money

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: J Heartless Slick

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I sure hope they are praying gas will go back above 3 bucks a gallon

It will.

Eventually, of course...

But fluctuating prices are definitely much scarier than steady increases.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Is it possible for Toyota to add more batteries into the Prius to get more MPG?

I remember a thread where a guy was getting 100MPG by adding more batteries to his Prius. Toyota should do the same.

More batteries doesn't necessarily = more mpg.

You have to remember that the ultimate source of power for the batteries is still gasoline. They only recover power that would be otherwise lost by braking. And this is set against the fact that those batteries are heavy, and more weight = less mpg.

The hybrid drive that toyota uses is only really useful in the city, with a lot of stopping. If you drove it nearly 100% highway, you'd see very little benefit, if not a reduction in mpg.

The hybrid drive the civic and insight uses is much smaller and simpler. It can't run electric only, but if you're doing highway most of the time, the lighter the better.

The reason that guy got better mpg with the batteries is because he hacked it into a plug in hybrid. But the system to do so cost thousands, and electricty off the grid still costs money, and when you did the math, he just did not come out ahead.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: J Heartless Slick

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I sure hope they are praying gas will go back above 3 bucks a gallon

It will.

next summer.

 

[Sukhoi]

The wagon doesn't make any sense unless they just want to capitalize on the Prius name recognition. There are other products in the lineup to cover that segment.

 

[vi edit]

Build a hybrid Tacoma that gets around 30/30 MPG and can tow around 4000 pounds and you won't be able to keep it on the lots.

I *still* can't believe that somebody hasn't capitalized on high economy compact/midsize trucks.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
The wagon doesn't make any sense unless they just want to capitalize on the Prius name recognition. There are other products in the lineup to cover that segment.

Really? There's a light duty vehicle that drives like a car but has nearly 100 cu ft cargo volume for those occasional large purchases/heavy trash finds/full bore road trips that gets 40+ mpg? With Toyota engineering and quality? Point me towards it, k, because The Googles, they do NOTHING!

For the record, if they built it, I'd cum. Hell, I'd even put pants on to pick mine up at the dealership.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Build a hybrid Tacoma that gets around 30/30 MPG and can tow around 4000 pounds and you won't be able to keep it on the lots.

I *still* can't believe that somebody hasn't capitalized on high economy compact/midsize trucks.

Do compact and midsize trucks sell anywhere near the numbers of compact/midsize sedans?

Top 20 vehicles in 2005 sales

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I sure hope they are praying gas will go back above 3 bucks a gallon

Might not have to. The scare might be enough considering people remember buying hte huge suv's before gas was $3 a gallon and started freaking out once it hit $3.

millions of chinese/indian car drivers coming online in the years ahead, the gas demand will continue to skyrocket regardless of what americans buy for cars. gas dips and spikes but the overall trend is to just keep going up

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Build a hybrid Tacoma that gets around 30/30 MPG and can tow around 4000 pounds and you won't be able to keep it on the lots.

I *still* can't believe that somebody hasn't capitalized on high economy compact/midsize trucks.

Do compact and midsize trucks sell anywhere near the numbers of compact/midsize sedans?

Trucks are big, big, big sales. Big enough to really drive Nissan and Toyota to compete against Ford and GM with trucks. Down in Texas more trucks are sold than cars and across the country the biggest sellers have been SUVs.

Ford has a hybrid Escape that has been relatively popular, and Lexus has a hybrid SUV (LS400?). Outside of those there really aren't any mainstream hybrid truck or truck-like vehicles.

 

[Fenixgoon]

diesel > *

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Babbles

Trucks are big, big, big sales. Big enough to really drive Nissan and Toyota to compete against Ford and GM with trucks. Down in Texas more trucks are sold than cars and across the country the biggest sellers have been SUVs.

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Build a hybrid Tacoma that gets around 30/30 MPG and can tow around 4000 pounds and you won't be able to keep it on the lots.

I *still* can't believe that somebody hasn't capitalized on high economy compact/midsize trucks.

Do compact and midsize trucks sell anywhere near the numbers of compact/midsize sedans?

And the biggest sellers across the country have been full-size trucks for quite some time.

 

[AgentJean]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
diesel > *

Bio-Diesel/Electric Plug-in-able hybird.
Now we're talking.

With the bio-diesel modifications you can run on anything from used cooking oil, to used transmission fluid, to motor oil, to soy-bean oil based fuels, along with traditional diesel.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Build a hybrid Tacoma that gets around 30/30 MPG and can tow around 4000 pounds and you won't be able to keep it on the lots.

I *still* can't believe that somebody hasn't capitalized on high economy compact/midsize trucks.

Because no amount of batteries can make a 4000lb truck that's as aerodynamic as a brick get 30mpg?

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Babbles

Trucks are big, big, big sales. Big enough to really drive Nissan and Toyota to compete against Ford and GM with trucks. Down in Texas more trucks are sold than cars and across the country the biggest sellers have been SUVs.

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Build a hybrid Tacoma that gets around 30/30 MPG and can tow around 4000 pounds and you won't be able to keep it on the lots.

I *still* can't believe that somebody hasn't capitalized on high economy compact/midsize trucks.

Do compact and midsize trucks sell anywhere near the numbers of compact/midsize sedans?

And the biggest sellers across the country have been full-size trucks for quite some time.

Obviously there was some reading problem here.
Trucks are big sales. Full-size, compact size, car-based, whatever - from what I gathered the car chasis based trucks are seeing the biggest increase in sales. Regardless, trucks are big.

Anyhow that is what I said: trucks are big. I never said only full-sized trucks or only compact, or whatever; trucks in general are big.