Toyota To Offer Own Plug-in Hybrid Car

A Toyota executive said that he is pushing his company’s engineers to develop a plug-in hybrid-vehicle that is powered by a lithium-ion battery before 2010. This statement from Katsuaki Watanabe is sure to push the race between Toyota and General Motors in a higher level. It can be remembered that GM also plans to introduce its own version of a lithium-ion hybrid, which is known as the Chevrolet Volt and is expected to be delivered anywhere around 2010. Mr. Watanabe of Toyota welcomed the competition with General Motors and believed that the competition between the two companies would help reduce the negative aspects of automobiles and in the long run will help the environment. In a statement, Mr Watanabe thru an interpreter said that;

To compete against each other in such a battle is something to be congratulated. We don’t want to be the loser in that competition of course.

The best-selling hybrid of Toyota runs on nickel-metal hydride batteries. It is believed that the lithium-ion batteries that are used on a number of consumer electronics can potentially hold a longer charge than the nickel-metal hydride versions, but the draw back is that these batteries are expensive. The Volt from GM that is set to be introduced in 2010 is expected to run on lithium-ion batteries. And last fall, the company announced that it plans to build the Volt in an assembly plant in Detroit in 2010, although executives believe that production will start after that time. Plug-in vehicles are different from the current hybrid vehicles right now since they can be recharged externally from an ordinary power outlet. For the conventional hybrid like the current Prius, battery is charged from power generated by the wheels.

Can Hybrids Save Us?

In a time where oil prices seems to be rising every week, the need to have a fuel-efficient car becomes more and more imperative. Enter hybrid vehicles. These vehicles seem to offer decent to above average fuel efficiency that can make everyone smile. There are a number of hybrids out there in the market right now. Leading the pack is Toyota Prius. Prius is the number one selling hybrid car in the market right now, and because of the popularity of this model, its name is almost synonymous with the name ‘hybrid’. The Honda Civic hybrid is another one, joined by the Nissan Altima hybrid, the Toyota Camry hybrid, Ford Escape hybrid and a whole lot more. Since the performance of the hybrid can be measured in terms of fuel efficiency, lets take a look at some of the vehicle’s mpg figures.

1. Toyota Prius                           46 MPG
2. Honda Civic Hybrid                 42 MPG
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid               34 MPG
4. Toyota Camry Hybrid              33 MPG
5. Ford Escape Hybrid                 32 MPG

If this measure is the sole basis in selecting cars, then these are the cars that should be used by people. But then the use of this measure may mislead consumers for a number of reasons, and one reason is that this measure may vary depending on unique individual situations, and driving environments.

Better Than Prius?

CNN reports that Prius may soon lose its title as the most fuel-efficient car in the country? Is it time to transfer the crown and put Prius back into the garage?

The vehicle is contention is Volkswagen’s entry, the VW Golf TDI Hybrid. On a test, it was revealed that this VW model gets 69 miles per gallon as compared to the 54 miles per gallon that was registered by the Prius on the same test. This will not yet affect the Prius since this just a concept, but in the long run and results will be validated and can be dupliated for mass production, then Prius crown as the most fuel efficient will soon changed hands.  America may soon welcome this efficient vehicle in the market in due time.

What makes the TDI 26 percent more efficient? The question may lie under the hood. Prius burns gasoline, while the Golf TDI features a diesel engine which is known as more efficient. But then its too early to say, plus another hurdle that the TDI will have to face is of course price and price as we know, is a thorny issue.

The Most Efficient Car of the Year?

Hybrid car to most may usually refer to the reknowned Prius of Toyota. Not so fast.  Though the introduction of Prius marks a great achievement when it comes to hybrid cars, but it should be noted that the Toyota Prius isn’t the first hybrid car in the market. Honda Insight took the initiative first. But back to Toyota Prius.

The Toyota Prius was first introduced in Japan in 1997 then introduced to the rest of the world in 2001. Though Insight was introduced first, it was this model that was mass produced first. Aside from the fact that the Prius is a hybrid car, what makes the Prius striking is the fact that this vehicle is a highly efficient vehicle- the most efficient among hybrids. To prove the point, the United States Environmental Protection Agency named the 2008 Prius as the most fuel efficient car that is sold in the US market. This citation is not only reserved in US, rather this citation was received by this vehicle in UK as well courtesy of the UK Department for Transport. The department named Prius as the second least CO2 emitting vehicle and Prius is tied with the diesel MINI Cooper D, just behind the Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI. This says a lot about the Prius.

Other than these citations, Consumer Reports also cited Toyota Prius on its 2008 listing of the Top Ten Best List. The Prius was named as the ‘Greenest Car’ for 2008.

This model of Toyota incorporates a number of respectable features but its centerpiece is of course, fuel economy and efficiency. Consumer Reports rated the mileage of Prius 2008 at around 44 mpg. For EPA’s estimate on the other hand, the Prius submitted 46 mpg, making this model of Toyota the most efficient car of 2008. Now EPA and Consumer Reports qualified the statements and the ratings saying that the numbers submitted by them are just estimates and often individual differences, plus other factors may help vary the results from time to time.

Because hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius brings a lot of benefits to the drivers, some goverments around the world has offered incentives to encourage people to take notice and to buy hybrid cars such as the Prius. For example, Belgium offer  reductions in the purchase price of these vehicles and Canada offers rebate for those who chose to purchase hybrid cars.

Driving the Prius is not only doing good to the environment, so they say. It is also seen as a statement showing ‘political correctness’. Thanks to the support that it has been getting, Prius is a big seller for Toyota. As of November 2007, Toyota said that they already sold 510,325 Prius units in the US market alone.