Nov-03-2009Parts shortages crimp Toyota's Prius output
(topic overview)
CONTENTS:- Hyundai Australia is looking at importing a stand-alone petrol electric hybrid model to compete with Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight. (More...)
- The affected cars are accelerating to around 100 mph, and no amount of braking stops the car. (More...)
- Some examples include the Corolla ($15,350), Matrix ($16,550) and Yaris ($12,355) from Toyota, Honda's Fit ($14,900), the Mazda 3 ($16,045), Chevy's Aveo ($11,965) and Cobalt ($14,990), the Hyundai's Accent ($9,970) and Elantra ($14,145), Pontiac's G3 ($14,335), the Kia Rio ($11,495), the MINI Cooper ($19,500), Ford's Focus ($15,995), and the Smart Car ForTwo ($11,990). (More...)
- For maximum economy the car features three drive modes, EV which is electric power only, ECO, which maps the engine for maximum economy and POWER. Naturally in power mode, economy suffers, the alternative is to select drive and the mode is selected automatically. (More...)
- In the United States, Toyota has gone to 16.6 per cent of the market from 16.7 per cent. (More...)
- What the Australian division of Toyota did is something that while not impossible, was thought to be far down the line. (More...)
- The lean burning and green 1.8-litre VVT engine pumps out 89g/km of CO2, making it exempt from road tax and company car tax is at the lowest level of 10 per cent. (More...)
- Autopia WTF? Dept. Car Shows Cool Cars Design EVs and Hybrids (More...)
SOURCESFIND OUT MORE ON THIS SUBJECTHyundai Australia is looking at importing a stand-alone petrol electric hybrid model to compete with Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight. The company has set its sights on selling one of two forthcoming petrol-electric hybrid models here within two years. It is also considering a petrol-electric version of a new sedan called the YF, which is scheduled to go on sale in the first half of 2010.
[1] Toyota will ramp up its hybrid line and may even spin off the wildly successful Prius into a sub-brand that could include several gas-electric hybrids. Spinning the Prius off is controversial among the brass in Tokyo and any decision is more than a year away, but it's definitely on the table, said Bob Carter, group VP and general manager of Toyota Motor Sales USA. Carter, speaking at the
Reuters Auto Summit in Detroit, said he supports the idea as long as the Prius becomes a sub-brand within Toyota, not a standalone franchise. "Prius has become such an icon in the market that it is my desire, and the desire by many of us that we nurture Prius beyond one vehicle and more into a family of vehicles," Carter said,
according to Reuters. Such a family could offer a larger version "to meet the needs of larger families" and a smaller one "to meet the needs of people who do not need the space of a mid-size sedan," Carter said. Toyota currently holds 75 percent of the global hybrid market and expects to sell more than 1 million hybrids annually before long, he said.
[2] A staple of Toyota's product plan for years, mid-cycle vehicle enhancements may be scrapped in favor of a focus on bigger launches of critical models. It appears we can expect Toyota to play to its strength in hybrids, introducing more of them and perhaps even creating an entirely separate Prius (hybrid) lineup. Most of all, Toyota is training its sights on a return to the basics: to building the high-quality vehicles that created loyal owners and the sort of sparkling reputation that allows a car maker to sell vehicles for higher prices than the competition.
[3] With so many new energy efficient cars in showrooms today, there's never been a better time to go green with your next car purchase. A few years ago the Toyota Prius was the go-to model for those with an environmental conscience and up to $30,000 to pay for the privilege of getting 35-40 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 45-55 on the highway. Today there is such a wide selection of fuel efficient and low-emissions vehicles that even those on a budget can afford to go green.
[4] Toyota denies any issue with electronics in the cars, but instead calls the incidents a result of "oversized floor mats" sticking open the throttle. "I'm absolutely certain that in my situation, it was not the floor mats," Elizabeth James told ABC News about her experience with a Toyota Prius suddenly accelerating past 90 mph in Denver, CO. Toyota refused to speak with ABC News about the incidents, insisting that it's the floor mats. Executive Bob Daly posted on their website, "Some news reports suggest there may be other causes of unintended acceleration, speculating about electronic engine control systems, braking performance or electro-magnetic interference among other theories.
[5] "I'm absolutely certain that in my situation, it was not the floor mats," Elizabeth James told ABC News. She was driving her Toyota Prius outside Denver, CO when she says it suddenly shot up to 90 miles an hour, even though her foot was on the brake and not the gas pedal.
[6] Safety analysts found an estimated 2000 cases in which owners of Toyota cars including Camry, Prius and Lexus, reported that their cars surged without warning up to speeds of 100 miles per hour. Toyota says the incidents are caused by floor mats becoming stuck under gas pedals, but owners say that's not what happened to them.
[6] All the while there have been unheard of quality issues. First among them is the floor mat issue involving more than 3.8 million vehicle owners of a wide range of models, including the Lexus ES350. No small matter this. Toyota, in both the U.S. and Canada, is urging owners to remove their floor mats while it seeks a remedy for reports of sudden, unintended acceleration.
[3] Aside from the issue related to floor mats, accelerator pedals and unintended acceleration, Toyota is dealing with a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into complaints of rusted-out frames on Tundra pickups -- a case involving an estimated 200,000-plus vehicles.
[3] Toyota officials refused to talk with ABC News about the incidents, but posted a statement from executive Bob Daly on its website last night that said: "Some news reports suggest there may be other causes of unintended acceleration, speculating about electronic engine control systems, braking performance or electro-magnetic interference among other theories. There is no evidence to support these theories." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has done six separate investigations of such acceleration surges in Toyotas since 2003 and found no defect in Toyota's electronics.
[6] Brakes alone will not work, since most cars' brakes will not override the throttle. German cars such as VW, however, have safety features built-in to allow the brake to override the throttle; a feature maybe other car manufacturers should look into. For up-to-date information on these Runaway Toyotas, head over to
ABC News.
[5] Along with the new images, Toyota Australia has released a few morsels of information in the lead-up to the car's full-scale production kicking off next month. With its engineers involved in overseas development of the new hybrid's platform, Toyota Australia says the Hybrid Camry features suspension and steering tuned specifically for the local market.
[7] The locally-built Toyota Camry hybrid has killed off Hyundai's plan to sell Australia's first LPG-powered hybrid car. With the Camry likely to be priced from about $33,000, Hyundai Australia nominated a sub-$30,000 target price for the Elantra LPI hybrid, but this was deemed uneconomical by Hyundai HQ in Korea.
[1] According to Toyota Camry hybrid'''s chief engineer Yukihiro Okane who spoke with Drive, the car will be faster than the gasoline model when it comes to 0-100km/h acceleration. It will also achieve a fuel consumption rating of 38 mpg (6.2 l/100km).
[8] With the huge success of Toyota's and Lexus' hybrids, it made perfect sense to round out the upscale brand's hybrid lineup with the addition of a smaller, more affordable luxury model -- and it comes to market offering the best fuel economy in the entire Lexus line.
[9] According to the carmaker's latest tests, the Hybrid Camry is expected to use up to 30 percent less fuel than the regular petrol Camry, which lists an official fuel economy of 8.8 l/100km.
[7] Like the Prius, the Hybrid Camry has been developed to run on either electric power alone, petrol alone, or in a combined mode.
[7] Toyota recently offered a glimpse at the Hybrid Camry's instrument cluster, showing a Hybrid Synergy Drive display and a green "ready" light that indicates when the hybrid's electric motor is on.
[7] TOYOTA SAYS ITS
Hybrid Camry, due to go on sale in February next year, will be quieter, more powerful and better handling than the regular Camry. New images released today reveal a sportier front bumper, which Toyota says contributes to styling that is both "progressive" and, in the case of its drag coefficient, "more aerodynamic".
[7] Scion's vehicles are intended to help Toyota Canada increase sales by 10 per cent to 220,000 cars and trucks amid a recovering auto market next year.
[3] In twenty, and maybe even as little as ten years. This car will be looked at as one of the worst idea's that Toyota has ever produced. It's looks like a hybrid corolla with a lexus badge.
[9] Hybrid or not, why in the world would anyone spend 40K on a Lexus that looks like a Corolla.
[9] Someday a car company will take rebadged Hybrids too far. Someday people are going to wake up and realize, "wait a minute, this looks like a $13,000 car!" Hello Someday.
[9] Toyota's Prius, which is only available as a hybrid, still leads the pack as the world's top selling and most fuel efficient hybrid. Its cost has dropped some, now starting at $22,400, and the "3rd generation" Prius 10 now claims an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined city/highway rating of 50 mpg. This most recent edition even features a whimsical solar panel on the roof to power a ventilation system that keeps the interior of the car cool even on scorching hot days.
[4] Toyota acknowledges that Prius production is more carbon dioxide heavy than that of gas-engine cars. The company says its changes at the Prius plant are not related to that criticism.
[10] Toyota has gone to some extreme lengths to offset the carbon dioxide emissions produced by its Tsutsumi plant in Toyota City, Japan, where it builds the Prius hybrid. The plant conserves electricity by using solar panels on its roof and reflective solar tubes inside the plant to beam reflected sunlight into rooms.
[10] 
The affected cars are accelerating to around 100 mph, and no amount of braking stops the car. These runaway Toyotas are making buyers question their purchasing decision, and demanding answers from Toyota. An estimated 2000 cases of this glitch have been reported in Toyota Camry, Prius, and Lexus cars.
[5] At the track, the HS 250h reached 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and completed the quarter mile in 16.2 seconds at a hair under 88 mph. These numbers are notably faster than those of the 2010 Prius, which 10.1 seconds to reach 60 mph and 17.6 seconds to run the quarter at 79.5 mph to get through the quarter. Braking distance from 60 mph is virtually the same for both cars, with the Lexus needing at 120 feet and the Prius one foot more.
[9] The 2010 Lexus HS 250h, the fifth Lexus hybrid, is based on the same platform as the Avensis (not sold in the U.S.) and RAV4. This is also a highly modified version of the underpinnings of the Prius, but there are enough differences that they are considered independent platforms. While at first glance this sedan looks small, it is actually around the same size as a C-Class, A4, or 3 Series.
[9] Generation III Prius is here now and contains plenty of technology from Toyota's "green" think tank. Still looks a bit kooky and we can't understand why they bother to build a completely individual hybrid "brand".
[11] While many automakers have environmentally friendly initiatives, Toyota has been especially proactive. Some people have said that the Prius loses most of its environmental cred when the hybrid's manufacturing process is taken into account.
[10] HYBRID technology may or may not be the ultimate future for motoring. If that proves the case, then Toyota has stolen a march over its rivals with the Prius.
[12] SYNOPSIS: Hyundai Australia wants gasoline-engine version of LPG-powered hybrid to compete with Toyota and Honda hybrids.
[13] "There is a stand-alone car coming, a petrol-electric hybrid," said Hyundai Australia marketing and sales director Kevin McCann.
[1] "The pricepoint we said we could sell the car at simply didn't make any economic sense," explained Hyundai Australia marketing and sales director Kevin McCann.
[1] Some examples include the Corolla ($15,350), Matrix ($16,550) and Yaris ($12,355) from Toyota, Honda's Fit ($14,900), the Mazda 3 ($16,045), Chevy's Aveo ($11,965) and Cobalt ($14,990), the Hyundai's Accent ($9,970) and Elantra ($14,145), Pontiac's G3 ($14,335), the Kia Rio ($11,495), the MINI Cooper ($19,500), Ford's Focus ($15,995), and the Smart Car ForTwo ($11,990). [4] "The fact is the (locally-built) Toyota Camry is going to come in at $33,000 or something, so we have to be sub $30,000 to be competitive with the Camry. "So they (Korea) have asked us to back off and wait for the next generation of hybrid development, and they will configure that upfront for world markets."
[1] Ford, now profitable, is nibbling at Toyota with a range of new models, from the 2010 Fusion (versus the Toyota Camry) to the next-spring launch of the Fiesta which is targeted directly at the aging Toyota Yaris.
[3] Toyota Canada president Yoichi Tomihara says Toyota is targeting sales of 30,000 Scion models annually. Launching Scion in Canada as all these other issues swirl around the company will challenge Toyota like never before. It all seemed so easy just a short while ago.
[3] The Avante (Elantra) LPI is a domestic-focussed model for which the Korean government has foregone sales tax so it can be sold at a competitive price. Its use of both LPG in a hybrid and lithium-polymer batteries is groundbreaking.
[1] Hybrid, I think, is a transitional driveline, you can already see the transition to plug-in is happening." To that end, the company intends to bring in demonstrator versions of the freshly-announced i10 plug-in electric vehicle, although there are no sales plans at this stage.
[1] At the Frankfurt motor show Hyundai showed the ix-Metro mini-SUV, powered by a petrol-electric mild hybrid drivetrain that combined a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, a 5kW electric motor and dual-clutch transmission.
[1] In Seoul, Hyundai showed the Blue Will, a plug-in that combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine and 100kW electric motor.
[1] The green petrol engine and powerful electric motor and battery provide a compelling case with low pollution, superb economy that matches most city cars and good residuals.
[12] The 2009 Prius is a leap forward from the previous incarnation of the car, as is the improved but not class-leading build quality, a bigger 1.8-litre engine and an even more powerful electric motor and battery to supplement it. Best of all, with all these improvements, the price remains the same for the T3, which costs £18,370 and T Spirit models.
[12] The Blue Hybrid system combines an electric motor and a 2.4-litre engine running in series or parallel.
[1] For maximum economy the car features three drive modes, EV which is electric power only, ECO, which maps the engine for maximum economy and POWER. Naturally in power mode, economy suffers, the alternative is to select drive and the mode is selected automatically. [12] Performance is acceptable in Power mode - drives just like a 1.8-litre Corolla.
[11] In the United States, Toyota has gone to 16.6 per cent of the market from 16.7 per cent. In the big picture, the losses are not catastrophic, yet Toyota has not gone backward like this ever before.
[3] In Canada, Toyota has lost nearly a full percentage point of market share -- to 12.5 per cent from 13.3 per cent a year ago.
[3] Toyota has enjoyed a loyal owner base, strong resale values and unparalleled and unquestioned quality. The reward: Finally, this year, Toyota became the world's automotive sales leader after a long struggle to surpass General Motors.
[3] Toyota has planted 50,000 trees to offset carbon dioxide emissions, and even the grass has been engineered to grow more slowly than conventional grass, so the lawn needs to be mowed only once a year. None of those measures can compare with Toyota's latest creation: two new flower species that were specially developed to absorb heat and harmful gases, reports Drive.com.au.
[10] In the new Prius, Toyota has combined futuristic technology with a space-age interior. The cabin, well certainly the driver's seat, could better be described as a cockpit, such is the array of buttons, dials, bells and whistles. It is a bit baffling, and distracting, to start with, but a few days in the car and they become second nature.
[12] To wit, Honda's new Insight is the first hybrid gasoline-electric car available new for less than $20,000 (starting at $19,800).
[4] Volkswagen's Jetta TDI ($22,660), Audi's A3 TDI ($29,950) and BMW's 335d ($43,900) are three examples of high performance vehicles with solid green credentials regarding fuel efficiency and emissions. An added bonus is that such cars can run on carbon-neutral biodiesel as well as petroleum-based diesel fuel. Consumers just starting their search for a new ride should check out
GreenCar.com, which provides detailed information on the many greener vehicles available today as well as those on the horizon.
[4] The federal government's website
FuelEconomy.gov provides detailed mileage and emissions information on dozens of new cars every year, and provides users with an easy and free way to compare different vehicles along the lines of environmental impact.
[4] Volkswagen says it will target Camry, too, with a new car to be built in a new Tennessee plant.
[3] The ocean is the world's largest "carbon sink": As much as one-third of man-made CO2 emissions are stored in the oceans and therefore do not contribute to global warming. Its plant component, phytoplankton (its animal component is called zooplankton), pulls massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere as it photosynthesizes. Various environmental factors are taking their toll on plankton the world over.
[4] What the Australian division of Toyota did is something that while not impossible, was thought to be far down the line. This hybrid version is even more efficient than the Yaris. The earliest that we could expect this model to be released would be in 2010.
[8] The Japanese automaker offers seven Toyota and Lexus hybrids, and Carter said it plans to introduce 10 more in the coming years.
[2] All through the write-up the point is "alluded" to that this is a "tarted up Toyota", and that IS exactly what this is! Its the European Avensis, folks, so lets say so, and not dance around it. Have we got so beguiled by Toyota and their provision of the best hybrids ( other than the Fusion), that we cannot call the company to account: so why have Toyota done this? After all, they are big enough to be able to create a legitimate small luxo-hybrid.
[9] The lean burning and green 1.8-litre VVT engine pumps out 89g/km of CO2, making it exempt from road tax and company car tax is at the lowest level of 10 per cent. [12] The fact remains the Japanese giant could be "done like a dinner" as the international auto industry looks for other simpler solutions to reducing fuel consumption and emissions. This includes all electric cars that aren't that far off.
[11] Not for us, too much dosh, average performance, couldn't get near fuel economy claim, don't like the styling.
[11] The Prius is a big car, as big as the family-sized Avensis, but offers excellent economy, even when being pushed fairly hard.
[12] Not elegant or expensive looking. That's OK in a Prius, but not for a $40k car.
[9] Autopia WTF? Dept. Car Shows Cool Cars Design EVs and Hybrids [2] The Camry now has a hybrid version that'''s sportier than the regular gasoline-powered vehicle.
[8] The HS 250h's hybrid system is architecturally similar to that of the Camry Hybrid, using the same 2.4-liter engine and continuously variable transmission with a few structural modifications to the driveline.
[9] Because for the first time in decades, perhaps ever, Toyota is everybody's target. Hyundai will be challenging Toyota's best-selling Camry with its coming Sonata.
[3] The movies warned us, and we didn't listen. The robots have developed a mind of their own and are targeting drivers of Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
[5] There have been reports of hundreds of recent accidents and 16 deaths resulting in what experts are calling an electronics failure (and what Toyota is calling a stuck floor mat) that results in the throttle getting stuck open.
[5] Floor mats, the accelerator pedal design, and the ignition system's software all are in play. This is a stressful time at Toyota.
[3] SOURCES1.
Hyundai developing a Prius rival2.
Toyota May Expand Prius Family | Autopia | Wired.com3.
CTV News | Toyota at a crossroads, and in competition's crosshairs4.
Earth Talk: More affordable energy-efficient, lower emission cars -plus- Ocean plankton dying5.
Toyotas Getting Minds of Their Own, Killing Drivers - Automoblog.net6.
Sudden Acceleration in Toyota Cars Causes Owners to Rebel After Accidents - ABC News7.
8.
Toyota Camry Hybrid shows that is faster and more efficient than Yaris - AutoSpies Auto News9.
2010 Lexus HS 250h First Test - Motor Trend10.
Toyota Engineers Flowers to Offset Production Pollution - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com11.
Quick squiz: Toyota Prius - Motoring - Lifestyle | Parramatta Advertiser12.
Toyota Prius 1.8 VVT-i T Spirit - Ayrshire Post13.
EV WORLDwire: Hyundai Developing Rival to Toyota Prius, Honda InsightGENERATE A MULTI-SOURCE SUMMARY ON ANY SUBJECTEnter your search query below. WAIT 10-20 sec for the new window to open.
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