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August 4, 2005
"Hybrids? I Got a Million of 'Em."
The above quote is from Jim Press, Toyota's U.S. president and chief operating officer. (Well, not really.) But that's his goal for early next-decade.
In an article here a few months back, I lauded the viability of hybrid vehicles. Wow. I'm so far ahead of my time. (Well, not really.) Not only has Toyota announced a new, bigger, better push for hybrids, but also bigger, better hybrids.
According to this article on CNN.com, which quotes Reuters and Automotive News (Doesn't anyone do original reporting anymore? [Well, not really.])…
"The world's second-biggest automaker is also aiming for hybrid vehicles to account for at least 25 percent of its U.S. sales in the same time period," Jim Press, Toyota's U.S. president and chief operating officer, told Reuters on the sidelines of an auto conference in this northern Michigan resort.
"Meeting a global goal of 1 million hybrid vehicles would mean that Toyota would have to sell about 600,000 vehicles in the U.S. alone," Press said, according to a report from Automotive News, an industry newspaper.
"To achieve that goal, we will have to look at offering hybrid power systems in virtually all of our vehicles, including trucks," Press told Automotive News.
Twenty-five percent of the world's second largest auto manufacturer's sales? That's substantial.
Toyota's Lexus brand, since our last Hybrid installment, has also introduced the first luxury hybrid SUV, the RX 400h. They're finally getting the point: 'hybrid' doesn't have to mean tiny, misshapen, and underpowered. Instead, it's rated at 268 hp (compared to it's gas-engined sibling, the RX 300, with 38 hp less.), is 33% more fuel efficient, certified as a Super Low Emissions Vehicle, scoots from 0-60 in 7.2 seconds despite 300 lbs. more heft, and still functions as a relatively roomy Ute.
According to Edmunds.com…
The battery pack, which is the heart of the hybrid system, is under the Lexus 400h's rear seat. With 30 modules comprised of eight cells per module its total peak power is 80-percent stronger than the Prius's, which has six cells per module. Plus, it's packed into a new metal case for improved heat rejection and reduced size. So it wouldn't disrupt the truck's 40/20/40-split rear-seat configuration, the pack's been split into three groups and its height has been reduced by 22 percent over the Prius's.
I built my own on the Lexus website. Starting from a base of $49,791; one option (with a few other goodies included) squirted the price up to $51,212.
Toyota has also introduced the Highlander Hybrid (a High-Hy?), sporting the same 268 hp, "real world gas mileage in the 20s" and "terrific acceleration, according to Edmunds. Base starts at $39,855 and, with a few good options (including a car guy-mandatory chrome exhaust tip but no wussy running boards) squeaked the total to $43,039. (Keep in mind that both vehicles as priced here included 4WD.)
(Huggin' trees ain't cheap these days.)
In other relatively recent news, DaimlerChrysler and GM (Wouldn't that be Mercedes, Chrysler and GM? How bizarre is that?) have joined forces to "develop two-mode full hybrid propulsion system." The piece continues, "Variants planned include rear- and front-wheel-drive versions for cars, trucks and other vehicles."
According to this reference, GM is planning Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra hybrids for 2007. I wouldn't think that the masses will flock to them, however, with unimpressive (4WD) city/highway numbers of 17 and 19, respectively. Um, has GM noticed that the EPA rates their 4.8L V8 gas engine-powered Chevy K1500 Silverado 4WD at 16/20? Even the 5.3 gets 15/19. Excuse me, General…but what the hell are you thinkin'?
At any rate, things are looking up for hybrids. Maybe tree-huggers and earth &*%^#$! alike will soon be able to join hands and flash gleaming white smiles to the cameras while singing We Are the World.
Hey, gimme a 500-hp Excursion that gets 40 mpg and I'll be pleased. Better yet, gimme one of these that gets 25 mpg and I'll be happier than a fat kid with a roll o' Smarties. They can deliver it, and bill me later.
Engineers working on hybrid projects have been very, very busy.
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Tracked on September 29, 2005 10:42 AM
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12 CommentsWhat about A Modern Steam Car. It could burn cleanly coal with zero emissions and run on $0.50/gal fuel. A 1500 lb car could get 30 miles/gal with preheat of the working fluid.
Presures and temperatures would be 1500 psi at 1000 deg F. That real energy.
I have a prototype that I have been driving around that runs on the local freeway with good performance. What do you say. Is there a market for this type of car? Let me know what you think.
I read about your car Phill, Citroen isn't it?. I also read about this other guy's car that runs on Hydrogen for years. The only problem as you well know is that even if there is a market for these cars is the big automotive companies that decide what they will promote because they have the money and the Gov. Grants.
Is to bad but unfortunatly is what it is. If your idea is really good you might be lucky and have them buy you out and put everything on a shelf for the next twenty years or so.
Good luck anyway. I think is a neat idea.
I also think that somehow one can combine hydrogen burning with steam power and make an engine that produces water while using the same water for fuel. See hydrogen is more reactive than burning gasoline. It needs an element that reduces the violence of the explosion, but if you can make that explosion to vaporise (steam) water in the chamber instantly then you reduce the pressure in the cyl.
This process eventually will exhaust water that will go back in the vehicle's tank. The hydrogen will come from fuel cell or generate through electrolysis or both. What do you think? Is there a market for this kind of car? Let me know what you think?
FYI: A good website for realtime direct news about alternate fuels engineering in the auto industry is Green Car Congress. No qouting of qoutes of qoutes there. http://www.greencarcongress.com/
August 10, 2005 11:50 AMInteresting that history repears itself...
Steam cars Stanley and Locomobile were the second
most popular after the Baker Electrics up until
1912. That was the year Cadillac introduced the
electric starter for gasoline engines. Suddenly,
you didn't have to risk a broken arm to get the
gas buggy started. The Doble steam cars of the
late '20's and early '30's were the cat's meow.
They had modern enclosed bodies, electric start
for burners. They were ready to roll in 60 seconds from stone cold. Political maneuvering and corruption in L.A. California local
government did them in.
There were even " modern " steam tractors. The
Bryant was an oil burner and the Baker was a
coal burner with automatic stoker. They condensed and re-used the exhaust steam in the
same era as the Doble cars. Competition was tough
when gasoline was $ .12 a gallon, though.
Why aren't we looking at the success Hawaii has had with the ethanol derived from sugar cane? They state mandated that all service stations provide the alternate fuel and GM automobiles have been modified to handle both fuels.
They have been using this altenate fuel for decades.
September 15, 2005 8:47 AMI've managed to save up roughly $37825 in my bank account, but I'm not sure if I should buy a house or not. Do you think the market is stable or do you think that home prices will decrease by a lot?
November 14, 2005 1:50 PM
