Toyota piloting all-hybrid car-sharing scheme in Europe: YUKÕ
08 December 2016
Toyota Europe is piloting a new full hybrid car sharing program—named YUKÕ – Japanese for ‘Let’s go’—in two European cities: Dublin, Ireland and Forlì, Italy. Vehicles in the program range from the B-segment Toyota Yaris Hybrid to its iconic Prius and will eventually also include its latest crossover, the Toyota C-HR Hybrid.
Toyota selected the pilot cities based on a set of criteria such as state of the local car sharing economy, demographics, infrastructure and congestion levels. Initially, 15 cars will be made available in selected parts in Dublin and 7 in Forlì.
We’re starting small to verify our business model, but we have the ambition to expand with more vehicles and cities in Europe in the coming years.
—Mark Adams, Vice President Consumer One & New Mobility
Last June, the “YUKÕ Toyota Car Club” was officially launched in Dublin. YUKÕ will initially roll out in the Irish city with 15 vehicles across three city center locations, with the intention of expanding rapidly to cover a city wide footprint. In addition to free on-street public parking space the Toyota models available are the Yaris, Auris and the Prius.
In Forlì, a city around 80 km (50 miles) away from Bologna, YUKÕ aims at helping continuously to improve the quality of people’s lives in the city, by offering innovative and sustainable mobility solutions. As of 5 December there will be 7 Toyota Yaris Hybrid available to all subscribers who want to enjoy driving a full hybrid from time to time. In addition, these car sharing drivers benefit from free access to the traffic restricted areas and to paying parking areas.
Full Hybrid technologies are the right answer to the important objective of a zero emissions mobility in the city. We believe that this objective can really be reached. The results of a recent research of CARe in Rome shows how our 4th generation Toyota Prius, in a home-to-work route, managed to travel 73% of the time with zero emissions. This figure was as high as 79.4% when considering urban driving only.
—Andrea Carlucci, CEO of Toyota Motor Italia
Hybrid cars are planet destroyers and always will be. They emit the whole spectra of pollutants from air pollutants to green house-gas pollutants. Toyota is not being part of the solution they are only part of the problem unfortunately. Until Toyota start making BEVs in high volume they have nothing to be proud of and only a whole lot of unsustainable products to sell. Shame on them.
Making cars that have higher MPG will only extend the time that burning planet destroying fuels is economic. So don’t be fooled by Toyotas propaganda about doing anything good.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 08 December 2016 at 02:26 AM
Henrik:
1) Toyotas recent 55 mpg HEVs can reduce GHG, pollution and liquid fuel consumption by more than half. It is an excellent proven first step (produced in 10,000,000 + copies).
2) Toyotas recent 133 mpge PHEVs can reduce GHG, pollution and fuel consumption up to 5.5 times. It is an excellent second step produced in many copies.
3) Toyotas recent FCEVs, using H2 made with excess REs, can reduce GHG, pollution and liquid fuel consumption by more than 90%. It is and excellent third step and part of the final ultimate step.
4) Near future Toyotas BEVs will do about the same as their FCEVs by 2020 or so. It will also be part of the ultimate step to reduce GHG, Pollution and liquid fuel consumption, if clean REs are used.
The step by step approach used by Toyota jettisoned this manufacturer in the first world place and should be noted, not blamed.
Posted by: HarveyD | 08 December 2016 at 02:22 PM
Harvey try and step back in order to see the larger picture. Using less non-sustainable products, like burning half as much fossil fuel, will only delay the global warming destruction of the planet. It will not stop it from happening.
Also that FCV thing Toyota is promoting is a political spin to look good among naïve environmentalist. Toyota has most certainly no intention of ever making FVC in volume because they know it is grossly uneconomic. You are being fooled.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 09 December 2016 at 12:20 AM
Henrik:
Evolution must take place at its own speed.
GM tried to produce BEVs with inadequate batteries some 25 years ago and had to stop after a few hundred units. Others had tried with primitive batteries some 100+ years ago and failed.
Post 2025-2030 lower cost improved (up-to-date) batteries and/or super caps or combinations may support mass production of competitive electric vehicles to progressively replace ICEVs, HEVs and PHEVs, but we are not there yet.
A (good weather) extended range TESLA cost over CAN $ 135,000 in Canada while excellent all weather extended range Toyota HEVs sell for CAN $27,000 to CAN $35,000.
Improved 133 mpge Toyota PHEVs will sell for about CAN $35,000 and less when batteries price come down and production picks up.
Near future good weather, slow charge, short range (180 to 220 miles) TESLA model III will sell for about CAN $54,000 and will not be competitive with 130 to 150 mpge PHEVs.
When extended range (500 miles) all weather ultra quick charge BEVs become available at the same price as an extended range (500+ miles) all weather Toyota 133 mpge PHEV, I will give it full consideration.
Posted by: HarveyD | 09 December 2016 at 08:14 AM
Harvey the 150mpge PHEV does not exist. The best is BMW i3 at 117 mpge in pure electric mode and 39 mpg in gasser mode.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=alts&year1=2016&year2=2017&vtype=Plug-in+Hybrid&srchtyp=newAfv
The best BEV is 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric with 136 mpge.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=alts&path=3&year1=2016&year2=2017&vtype=Electric&srchtyp=newAfv
I expect Model 3 will be better than 136 mpge. It will be min 215 miles rage for the 35,000 USD version. However, everybody can afford driving the Model 3 as a taxi on the Tesla Network. No upfront cost there and the range is unlimited as you can get a new model 3 when the first you use is running low on the kwh.
Tesla has proven that BEVs are viable. The rest of the industry should stop doing PHEVs and other gassers and just focus on making good self driving BEVs. It is all we need for everything that moves on land.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 10 December 2016 at 04:22 AM
Henrik...battery installed price (about $440/kWh at pack level) is what is holding extended range BEVs mass production:
A good weather, 300 miles BEV, needs USD $44,000 or CAN $59,400 for the batteries.
An all weather, 300 miles BEV, needs about (USD $44,000 x 1.3 = $57,200 or CAN $ 77,220) for installed batteries
A practical, all weather 400+ miles BEV, needs about (USD $44,000 x 1.3 x 1.25 = USD $ 71,500 or CAN $ 96,625 for installed batteries.
I'm not against extended range BEV, NPPs or ADVs but they are not very practical yet. Toyotas current extended range (550+ miles) all weather PHEVs will do up to 133 mpge and their near future next generation will do close to 150 mpge, at 1/3 the price.
By the way, those improved PHEVs could also be upgraded to ADVs for excellent clean driverless operation taxis???
Posted by: HarveyD | 12 December 2016 at 09:58 AM