Third
generation Toyota Prius not until late 2009 as 2010 model
Updated: July
10, 2008
-----> INFO
on the standard 2008 Prius (not Third Generation)
Breaking -
Toyota
lithium-powered hybrids coming in 2010
The king of hybrid
cars, the Toyota
Prius, will not offer a third generation hybrid drive
until sometime in 2009 as a 2010 model - at least that's
based on the latest reports (and rumors).
Early reports once indicated that the new hybrid drive
would offer lithium-ion batteries. "We
will change the battery from nickel hydride to the lithium
battery," CEO Katsuaki Watanabe told
Business Week last year.
Not long
after, rumors against such a lithium move hit the
blogosphere, and later rumors even claimed that
lithium-powered hybrids from Toyota had been delayed by at least 1 to
2 years due to safety precautions. All the while Toyota
has been very tight-lipped on the subject.
Bigger,
faster, more efficient Prius, nonetheless, what will it
cost?
Without
lithium, major improvements are not expected in fuel
economy. Still, the third generation Prius will be a
little bigger, faster and 10 - 20 percent more fuel
efficient than the second generation Prius. That could mean
more than 50 mpg on the highway, and as high as 60 in the
city - conservatively speaking - in a body 3 to 4 inches
longer and an inch wider. Obviously, those whom have
mastered the art of hybrid driving will achieve far better
numbers.
So, how much
faster? The new Prius will move from a 1.5-liter inline 4
to a 1.8 inline 4 engine that adds 25 extra horsepower for
a total of 100 hp. Combined with a new, advanced electric
motor that new Prius will offer as much as 160 hp compared
to today's 110 hp.
Does that
make the third generation Prius worth more than the
current version? Will their be a price increase, a
decrease?
Originally,
Toyota had suggested that the next generation Toyota Prius, utilizing
a Third Generation Hybrid Synergy Drive - a hybrid powertrain
predicted to be half the weight of the current
Prius powertrain - would cut in half hybrid
technology costs.
Toyota sources claimed
the third generation hybrid
technology, "will cut prices for eco-friendly
vehicles, reduce fuel costs and slash production
expenses."
Was that
prediction made utilizing lithium? Was the prediction
battery independent?
How did, or
does, this affect price?
Toyota is
already planning a 60 percent increase in Prius production
for 2009, which seems to coincide with the launch of the
third generation Prius sometime in 2009, probably late
Spring of 2009, a few months after the third generation
Prius debuts at the Detroit Auto Show.
Is a little
bigger, faster and more fuel efficient Prius worth a 60
percent increase in production? Could third generation costs
go down? Must they go down?
Consumers
have been embracing the Prius in greater numbers,
month-after-month. And if gas prices stay high, consumers
appear ready to convert to hybrids in even larger numbers.
Is this
enough to justify a 60 percent increase in Prius
production - scheduled for 2009 as Toyota heads into the
third generation launch?
It seems so,
even without lithium.
Prius
derivatives?
Still, what
does all this mean? Will rumors of a non-plug-in, 100 mpg
Prius prove to be unfounded, which some were calling the
third generation Prius, or just delayed?
Will Toyota
offer a NiMH-powered Prius plug-in hybrid?
It seems
hard to imagine that the next generation Prius could
achieve 100 mpg, without some sort of plug-in
functionality - which is a possibility. Still, Toyota has
steadily maintained that plug-ins are not yet feasible,
especially without lithium batteries.
Then again,
perhaps the 100 mpg Prius is a derivative Prius, such
as a smaller, city Prius.
Toyota has claimed that the
future could hold multiple derivatives of the Prius, and a
larger Prius - in addition to the smaller Prius - also
seem possible. Both a smaller Prius and a larger Prius
have made auto show appearances.
Might this
smaller Prius also be sold as a Prius in 2009 as a 2010
model? Is there room, today, for both a full-sized, larger
Prius and a smaller, city Prius?
At this
point there are simply more questions than answers
regarding the 2009 / 2010 Toyota Prius. However, Toyota has
indicated that it would debut a new unique hybrid at NAIAS
in 2009, so the picture should clear greatly then.
If gas prices stay high, Toyota's third generation hybrid
vehicles, especially the Prius, appear to have a bright
future, regardless of when lithium finally starts powering
next generation hybrid vehicles.
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on the standard 2008
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Comments:
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Has Toyota taken a page out of Microsoft's play book? You know, the one where they announce well in advance, the upcoming "Real Meal Deal" that everyone just has to have, then keep potential purchasers on hold waiting for the promised sweet thing to appear.
Well it's working with this potential buyer - I may just wait and see for another year.
I think that Toyota is even a little confused itself about the third generation Prius. Toyota has maintained that the third generation Prius will be more fuel efficient and cheaper. Still, how will they accomplish this task?
Part of the problem for automakers has been waiting to see if lithium-ion batteries can develop fast enough to replace NiMH batteries before the next generation.
Thus, it seems many automakers are in a sort of speculative mode at this point in time.
Nonetheless, even without lithium-ion batteries, I think Toyota can still make big gains with the Prius in the next generation. Of course, lithium would make those gains easier.
The "reports" link in the article goes nowhere. So is this simply speculation? The facts in this article seem difficult to verify.
Arg... I need a new car now. I guess I will have to get a 2007 Prius. Oh well.
We'll trade in our 2005 Prius when the 2008 plug-in models come out. Sucks I need two cars now... :(
The original link to the reports was archived by Asahi.com, a process common with many Internet providers, especially news providers. Thus, the original link had stopped working, as will the current link, eventually.
A simple search of the Asahi website reproduced similar results regarding the 2008 Prius.
Still, yes my report was part speculation. Current reports from Asahi claim, "Toyota is developing a third-generation hybrid system, which will be smaller and lower-priced than the current system. It will go on the market as early as 2008."
Consequently, Toyota will eventually add the Hybrid Synergy Drive to all of its hybrids after this Drive is developed. If it will be developed by 2008, then one would assume it could make it into a Toyota Prius by 2008.
So, yes, I am speculating that the Third Generation Toyota Prius might be available sometime in 2008, though probably as a 2009 model.
Hays,
Just buy a used car to tie you over until then.
Since Toyota introduced the Prius, hybrid vehicles have become more and more popular in the U.S., this fuel efficient vehicles that is equipped with Edge Products and is powered commonly by gasoline. Its fuel efficiency is due to the use of an electric motor which supplies the additional power to help the engine.More developments like these, we can surely expect more hybrid vehicles roving our streets .
I would gladly buy the Gen X Prius or The Chevy Volt Tomorrow if I was given the Chance!
I would gladly buy the Prius X Hybrid if given the chance today!
They look like the next best thing!
"No-matter who killed the electric car I think its about time they resurect it!"
I think this vehicle could really make a difference in New York. Where they are looking at ways to reduce the pollutants of the environment by 30%.