Toyota Prius 2007 News

Even though Brand T sells more diesels down under than any other brand — and most of its rivals combined — it says there is no future for diesel passenger cars. Instead, Toyota is putting its faith in hybrids and upcoming high-efficiency unleaded engines, although it will continue to dominate the diesel four-wheel drive and workhorse business with its huge fleet of HiLuxes, HiAces and LandCruisers. "We are not pursuing diesel in our passenger vehicles. There are no definitive plans for diesel," says the head of sales and marketing for Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner. "There is no doubt that there are consumers attracted to diesel, but we believe we can achieve our volume and share aspirations on the back of the product plan we have for the future." Buttner dismisses existing Toyota diesel models on sale in Europe, including the Corolla. "Globally, Toyota believes Hybrid Synergy Drive — the system already used in the Prius and also destined for next year's locally-made Camry hybrid — is the technology of the future. In Europe we're seeing the emergence of high-efficiency petrol engines for small passenger cars. "Providing we can bring the Hybrid Synergy Drive products at the right time we believe it will be advantageous over the medium and longer term." Buttner admits the no-diesel plan runs counter to its existing strength in the four-wheel drive and commercial businesses, but says the two are very separate issues. And, even though none of its workhorses has the latest in diesel particulate filters to reduce emissions and they trail way behind benchmark diesel passenger cars, he says the technology is improving. "We've always been strong in diesels with commercial vehicles, but even there we have had reduced fuel consumption and improved emissions."

Toyota alone has plans for eight hybrids and they will be joined by everything up to super-luxury petrol-electric cars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. With a growing number of fuel-efficient diesel cars also landing from Europe, the number of bowser wowsers will soar as quickly as fuel economy falls. Toyota yesterday unveiled its third-generation Prius, the global hybrid poster car, with the promise of everything from 3.9 litre/100km fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 89 grams/kilometre to eco-plastics in the cabin and a solar roof panel to cool the cabin when the car is parked. But hybrids are still not cheap and parking a new Prius in the driveway will cost a minimum of $39,990. The Prius previews some of the technology to be seen next year in the company's first locally-made hybrid, a version of the Camry, and sets the benchmark for the upcoming Honda Insight. It will be the Prius's closest showroom challenger, although slightly smaller, with a pricetag set close to $30,000. Toyota Australia is aiming for 4500 Prius sales next year, in a global total which could go as high at 300,000 in 88 countries worldwide. "In future years hybrids will become the mainstream cars," the chief engineer of the new Prius, Akihiko Otsuka, said yesterday. The Prius push comes as a growing number of carmakers look for a fuel- efficient solution to the world's energy needs, as well as a segway to the all-electric cars which will eventually take over from petrol power. For Toyota, and its Lexus luxury brand, that will mean eight new models led by the Prius, local Camry and a compact Lexus called the HS250h. There is no talk yet of either a HiLux hybrid or any diesel- electric hybrid. "We have looked at diesel but it would be too expensive for the consumer," said Otsuka. The Prius has now been sold in Australia for eight years, although Honda was first into showrooms with its original Insight and still has the hybrid price leader with its Civic. But this is not as technologically advanced as the Prius. AUSTRALIA'S FAVOURITE HYBRIDS Toyota Prius Price: $39,990 Economy: 3.9L/100km Emissions: 89g/km Honda Civic Hybrid Price: $35,990 Economy: 4.6L/100km Emissions: 109g/100km Lexus RX450h Price: $89,900 Economy: 6.4L/100km Emissions: 150g/km

A Sydney university team has developed Australia's first hybrid-electric car that can both be charged from a household plug and help supply electricity to the grid. The SWITCH — developed by the Institute of Sustainable Futures at University of Technology Sydney — can charge its batteries from a household supply using cheap off-peak electricity and feed any spare power it stores back into the grid at peak demand times. "This is very, very exciting," project director Chris Dunstan, of UTS, says. "There are only a handful of V2G (vehicle to grid) examples around the world but the potential is enormous. "Being able to go out and buy one of these vehicles is not going to happen next month ... it's not going to happen next year ... but when there are thousands of these out there the effect on renewable energy will be huge." Dunstan says the SWITCH prototype, the next step in the electric vehicle revolution, was adapted by the UTS research team from a standard Toyota Prius by adding extra batteries, controls and connections. While the prototype does not have the capacity to recharge its extra batteries with recovered energy — as the factory-fitted Prius system does — it is something they are working towards. "At the moment it is purely a storage system for extra electric charge which can extend the pure electric range of the Prius, but we are certainly interested in being able to gather charge from the car," Dunstan says.  

...the Japanese carmaker is revealing three new cars, the 1/X, third-generation Prius and Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle. Each in their own way presents Toyota's vision of the future, according to Toyota marketing chief, David Buttner. "It's no coincidence that all three cars have hybrid drive technology," he said. The 1/X presents a vision of tomorrow while the Prius hybrid and Camry concept hybrid point to just what's around the corner. The Prius goes on sale later this year for under $40,000 and the Camry hybrid, to be built at Toyota's Altona plant, hits showrooms next February. The Camry hybrid will be built alongside the 2.4-litre petrol Camry and is expected to cost between $3000 and $4000 more. Using the Camry sedan as the base, the HCCV gets more streamlined aerodynamics to improve fuel economy. The third-generation 1.8-litre Prius showcases some new technologies, including a solar-powered ventilation and remote air conditioning system that works when the car is parked. The car will also be the first car in Australia with C02 emissions below 100grams a kilometre. The 1/X, pronounced one-Xth, gets its name because it uses hybrid-powered technology that has a fraction of the environmental footprint of today's cleanest cars. Buttner describes it as a car for "post 2020". Toyota is already developing the car's potential, looking at sustainable seaweed as a source of materials. The 500cc rear drive 1/X is made from light-weight carbon fibre and weighs just 420kg, less than half the weight of a Corolla but delivers similar performance to the 1.8-litre petrol hatch. "But carbon fibre is oil based and oil is a finite resource," he says. "Post-2020 it is likely vehicles like the 1/X will be made of plant-based plastic, which has just been invented." Buttner says the car is realistically a decade away but some of the innovations could make it to market earlier. Toyota expects to replace the carbon fibre body with one made of plast-based plastice, called eco-plastic. By 2020 Toyota has vowed to have a hybrid powertrain available across all its models, from the Yaris right up to the LandCruiser. * The Melbourne Motor Show starts at 5pm on Friday at the Melbourne Exhibiton Centre.   The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show...  

A wild new alternative was unveiled last month with the first three-wheeled scooter to hit Australia.

From a nightclub on wheels to a car shaped like a hat, many of the wacky vehicles unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show over the years have been consigned to the annals of motoring history. When Toyota wheeled out a futuristic Prius prototype in 1995 powered by a combination of petrol and electricity, many believed it would go the same way.Twelve years later, its rivals are still trying to catch up and the hybrid remained on centre stage when the show got under way again this week.But the hybrid is not the only contender in the fuel-efficiency race, with a host of alternative environmentally-friendly technologies snapping at its heels.Despite the success of the Prius, carmakers are still hedging their bets on green technologies, with electricity, biofuels, clean diesel and fuel cells also seen as potential future power sources. Unsurprisingly, alternative fuel concepts dominate many stands at the show.Among them is the 1/X (pronounced one-Xth) plug-in hybrid, which Toyota says is two-thirds lighter than the Prius and twice as fuel-efficient.It can run on a mixture of petrol and ethanol and uses rigid but lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic throughout the body frame. Toyota will also show off a luxury hybrid sedan, a hybrid sports car and a new version of its one-seater, three-wheel i-swing 'personal mobility machine,' which caused a stir when it was unveiled two years ago.Honda, the first carmaker to introduce a hybrid in the US, will be trying to grab attention with its CR-Z lightweight hybrid sports car and its weird Puyo hydrogen fuel-cell concept.Nissan will show off the latest version of its Pivo egg-shaped electric concept car with a cabin that can rotate 360 degrees.The Pivo 2 can also drive sideways, thanks to wheels that can turn 90 degrees for easy parallel parking.The dream of an electric car, which has been around since the time of Thomas Edison, has so far failed to break into the mainstream because of the high development cost and difficulties developing a suitable battery.Carmakers are also competing to develop lithium-ion rechargeable batteries suitable for long-distance hybrids, but there are safety concerns after massive recalls by laptop computer manufacturers. 

The Toyota Prius is heading for full-on brand status as it increases its cult following in the US. Toyota is working on a plan that would see all of its future hybrid models carrying the Prius badge.

GM and Toyota have used the forum of the Frankfurt Motor Show to spruik their green credentials. Toyota executive Mike Hawes told reporters his company was investigating biofuels.Toyota has 10 years of experience with its Prius hybrid, which combines an electric and a petrol engine. But this endlessly vaunted car comprises only a tiny fraction of Toyota's sales.General Motors, meanwhile, has developed vehicles that use petrol mixed with ethanol, so-called E-85-capable cars and trucks.Both companies are working hard on technologies and presented their options at the Frankfurt fest.GM Europe president Carl-Peter Foster said makers would probably focus on a range of solutions, as no single technology covered all needs.GM highlighted several electric models at the fair, one of the sector's biggest showcases. Analysts forecast that most carmakers will have a hybrid option in their line-up within the next five years.Ethanol is used in what are also known as flexible-fuel vehicles. These use engines similar to petrol ones, but running on a blend of up to 85 per cent ethanol, hence the E85 tag.The big question, however, is cost. According to some estimates, 'clean' technology can add around $A4000 to the price tag of an SUV.Fuel cells are even more expensive, but are the most promising long-term solution. Toyota announced it would market a fuel-cell car, costing about $A60,000, by 2015.Another implication of the green evolution is having to learn a whole new range of auto jargon. The latest automotive JargonBluemotion Volkswagen's name for the fuel-saving versions of its Polo, Passat and Golf models. The savings are made thanks to narrower tyres and lighter bodywork. Bluetec This is the technology Mercedes-Benz uses to make diesel cars just as clean as petrol engines.The system reduces diesel particles by as much as 80 per cent, An oxidising catalytic converter and a particulate filter combine with other systems to reduce nitrogen oxide. Brake energy recuperationA BMW system in which the energy lost through heat while braking is used to recharge the battery. Fuel cellHydrogen fuel cell vehicles are seen as one way to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions.Hydrogen that is used in the cells is extracted from petrol or natural gas, and a chemical reaction with oxygen produces energy.The only by-product is water. The main drawbacks are the energy needed to produce hydrogen and the infrastructure required to make it available. Diesel hybrid The most common hybrid engine is acombination of electric and petrol, but some producers favour an electric-diesel hybrid because diesel engines use less fuel. DiesottoA petrol engine offering the high torque and fuel economy of a diesel, paired with extremely clean emissions. Mercedes calls it "the future of the petrol engine." Ecoflex Opel's name for a range of low-consumption, low-polluting models with small electric and diesel engines that were launched at theFrankfurt show. Econetic Ford's name for a new range of cars with lowered suspension, aerodynamic profiles and narrow tyres that help reduce both emissions and fuel consumption. The first model is expected in 2008. Efficient dynamicsBMW's environmentally friendly cars using Stop-Start Technology. Electric enginesElectric cars produce no emissions, and significant progress has been made in prolonging battery life. Hybrids Cars such as Toyota's Prius and Honda's Civic that use a combination of petrol and electric engines. In town, hybrid cars mainly use the electric function. For longer- distance driving, the petrol function can be switched on. Stop-start technologyThe engine cuts out when the vehicle comes to a halt and automatically starts again when it needs to drive off.

So which carmaker is the world's cleanest? Not sure? Well, an independent survey released last week has found that BMW has most improved its average fuel efficiency and CO2 emission rate. Indeed, it's done so to an extent which will embarrass other carmakers.The study, began from 1990-2005 by Environmental Defense, a US-based non-profit environmental advocacy group, which shows BMW has improved fuel economy by 14 per cent and carbon emissions by 12.3 per cent.The next best reduction was Toyota's 3 per cent. The C02 performance of every other leading carmaker deteriorated.BMW has made much of the fact that the report covers a period when its US sales increased fourfold.The Americans, of course, buy more big X5 SUVs than the rest of the world combined. The report, Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens, studied the impact of 12 major carmakers' product strategies on fuel efficiency and overall automotive carbon emissions.BMW improved fuel economy on several key models, including the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7Series, Z4 M Coupe, M5 Sedan and X5 SUV. Of course, the group's Mini Cooper accounted for almost half of BMW's overall fuel economy improvements.BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski says the group has made further substantial improvements to fuel consumption and emissions since the end of the survey period.“Already in 2007, one-third of new BMWs sold in Europe have a CO2 rating of no more than 140g per kilometre,” he says. “Basically it is a great result that shows that we can continue to optimise current engines. It also shows petrol and diesel engines that outperform existing hybrid technology at comparable costs.”With its latest diesel and lean-burn direct-injection petrol engines, (the latter is no good for Australia because of the high sulphur content of our petrol) BMW has taken its own hybrid direction. This week at the Frankfurt motor show, it showcased its new dual-mode hybrid that returns a claimed 20 per cent economy improvement on the highway and in town.BMW's other more vaunted green gambit is the Hydrogen 7, the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. Driven in Germany last year by carsguide, the Hydrogen 7 emits primarily vapour when running on a non-petrol engine.Toyota rated second best, reducing CO2 3 per cent overall, a result in part due to its introduction of the Prius hybrid, but mainly to improvements made to the best-selling Corolla.The report also rated the overall 'carbon burden' that carmakers placed on the environment, derived from factors including vehicle emissions and the number sold. GM came out on top, with a 6.5per cent reduction in overall carbon burden, though its carbon emissions rose by 3 per cent. Toyota, while low in CO2, grew its carbon burden by 125 per cent because of an increase in overall sales. Snapshot: Carbon savings BMW: reduced 12.3 per centToyota: reduced 3 per centVolkswagen: up 1.3 per centSubaru: up 1.6 per centGeneral Motors: up 3per centMitsubishi: up 4 per centHonda: up 4.4 per centFord: up 4.7 per centDaimlerChrysler: up 4.8 per centNissan: up 9.2 per centHyundai: up 17 per centKia: up 30 per cent Source: US Environmental Defense group 

Just a week after US President George W. Bush told a Sydney media conference about how battery cars that didn't look like golf carts were being developed, the real things were displayed at the world's largest motoring show.General Motors showed off its Flextreme from its European subsidiary Opel. It's a small commuter car with an electric-diesel hybrid that can travel 55km on a single charge before switching to fuel. It is a concept car, meaning it may or may not go into production.Volvo will also unveil its plug-in hybrid concept at the show. Called the Recharge and based on its C30 hatchback, it uses four separate electric motors to power each wheel, augmenting a 1.6-litre four-cylinder Flexifuel engine.Meanwhile, Volvo said a fully charged model can travel about 100km before it needs to be recharged. And it is not a slug. It can reach 0-100km/h in nine seconds on the way to a top speed of 160km/h.VW is claiming fuel consumption of as little as three litres per 100km for its spiritual successor to the original people's car, the Beetle.The Up concept is a miniature four-seat city car powered by a rear-mounted two or three cylinder engine,  the first rear-engined car VW has made since the original Beetle. VW said the car would be low-priced and a fuel miser. It has claimed 3.5litres/100km with a target of reducing that to less than 3litres/100 km.That's better than Australia's current best the Toyota Prius hybrid at 4.4litres/100km, the Citroen C4 diesel at 4.5litres/100km and the Honda Civic Hybrid at 4.6litres/100km.It is also better than the new-age Fiat 500, which will have a diesel model with a claimed consumption of 4.2litres/100km and the next generation Smart car.VW boss Dr Martin Winterkorn said: “This is VW reinventing the Volkswagen. It is what the brand stands for — mobility for everyone.”Dr Winterkorn said show visitors' reaction to the car would decide whether the Up goes into full production.Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks said: “If the philosophy stays the same as it was for the original Beetle, to be a car affordable to everyone, then it will certainly be a good fit into our market.” Volkswagen Up2 or 3-cylinder engine Fuel economy of 3.5l per 100km.Available in 2011.GM FiextremeElectric-diesel hybrid.Can travel 55km on battery power before switching over to diesel fuel. Volvo RechargeFour electric motors plus a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.Can travel 100km on battery power before re-charge needed.Top speed of 160km/h.