Smaller Hybrid System for Toyota in 2008
15 November 2005
Toyota Motor will introduce a smaller, more cost-efficient third-generation hybrid system in its vehicles from 2008, the Asahi daily reported on Wednesday.
The new hybrid drive will be more powerful than the current version, featuring lighter batteries but delivering higher performance, according to the report.
The automaker will also begin to make key components for gasoline-electric hybrid systems in the United States, the first time this manufacturing has been done outside Japan, according to the newspaper report.
Toyota will double the annual output of hybrid systems, reducing the manufacturing cost difference between such systems and conventional gasoline engines.
By making the system smaller than the current second-generation system, Toyota will also expand the use of the system to most of its mid-size or larger cars, according to the paper.
The company has set a goal of selling at least 1,000,000 hybrids annually by early in the next decade.
There are two topics that ned to be adressed in regards to automobiles. The issues seem to have merged into one topic.
1. The pollution generated by older vehicles
2. The ever increasing cost of fuel.
The likes of Toyota, Honda and others try and provide a solution for the two issues in one go. But it is not quite that simple.
On the first topic:
If we were living in a tight dome where clean air was limited, the government would shell the cost of taking every registered car and making the necessary additions to the exhaust system to make it compliant to the necessary standards. If not for free, they could cover 50% of the cost of conversion through tax deduction and that would still be better then nothing. Instead they sit there expecting people to buy new cars in the future that comply to the new rule.
I have news for you. My Nissan Pulsar is 18 yrs old. It has a great sound system and gives me 8.5l/100(25mpg) combined city cycle from a crappy 1.6l engine. I have no money to buy a new hybrid or afford some spandangled clean conversion. A hell of a lot of people are in my position. Why doesn't Toyota or Honda or whoever claims to care about the environment shift their focus slightly in providing kits for older car to comply with clean air pollution? I'll tell you why. Its because they are trying to flog you the new gear. Their shift on environmentally friendly cars is a marketing opportunity and nothing more. Don't you think we could have had hybrids a decade ago? They just had to wait for the right time when people were uncertain about the future.
On the second topic:
Some hippies pointed out that the government taxing fuel more would discourage fuel usage.
Yeah right. Breath less to save air.
In an earlier post I pointed out that people still need to go from home to work and back. That does not change. Fuel is not a flexible commodity. Low income fammilies struggle enough without having to pay more tax.
Again, there are many possibilities for Toyota and the like to develop retrofit technologies for older vehicles. The hydrogen injection as an example. Where are they?
The sad reality is I'll probably have to make the sacrifice to get a hybrid. Insurance companies and city councils have subtle ways of pushing you along onto the new stuff, like raising your registration or devaluating the market value of your car so if you have an accident you get enough for a carton of beer.
The whole thing is pathetic.
Posted by: Adrian | 16 November 2005 at 06:31 PM
eh it won't be so bad, at least the new hybrid cars are comfy and torquey from start.
if you can wait and save, i'm sure itll be more affordable in 3 years time.
Posted by: philmcneal | 19 November 2005 at 05:26 PM