Toyota Prius 2012 News

Toyota is expanding the Prius hybrid brand with a youthful family wagon and is also working on a smaller city car.  The Prius V - for versatile - looks exactly as expected, with pumped- up bodywork that closely follows the look of the existing five-door hatch. The end result is partly down to the need for aero efficiency, but also because it is the best way to package the existing hybrid synergy drive. The V has an interior that's 50 per cent larger than the existing Prius, complete with a multi-function tail end that's suitable for families and hauling work. The Prius C - for city-centric - is one of the few surprises at this year's Detroit show and proves that Toyota is serious about turning its hybrid family into a sub-brand, similar to the Scion family - including the Rukus in Australia - that works well as a youth destination in the USA. The C-car is all about price and will lead the Prius family when it goes on sale in 2012. Only very sketchy details on the concept car, focussing on its size and price potential, are revealed. The Prius V is certain for Australia but there is no news yet on the Prius C, even if Toyota Australia is taking a conservative line on the hybrid expansion. "The Prius V is under consideration for the Australian market, however no final decision has been made as to when or if this specific model will be introduced here," says Mike Breen of Toyota Australia. "The Prius C is still a concept, so we cannot make any comment on the future production of this vehicle."

The mainstream Camry is set for a complete re-make, the baby Yaris will be renewed and the funky FJ Cruiser will add some Gen-Y impact to local showrooms.But there is much more in 2011 - including the preview of the production version of the make-or-break FT-86 sports car - from Toyota.Among the likely previews are a set of Prius hybrid spin-offs led by a people mover and a coupe - and perhaps including a pickup - and a late-year showing of the next Corolla, most likely at the Tokyo Motor Show."Toyota policy is we don't comment on any potential future product," says Mike Breen of Toyota Australia. "We have three major launches next year."He stonewalls on anything beyond the big three, even though leaked plans from the USA highlight the amount of new product coming from the world's biggest carmaker.The RAV4 is set for a remake in 2012 following a preview in '11, probably with some sort of hybrid drive system, while the Kluger could also get a facelift later next year."The years following 2011 will see us start to introduce new models. it's not going to all come at once, it will happen over a couple of years in a gradual process," says Breen."The only model we can talk about is FJ Cruiser, which will be launched in March next year, that's already on the record."The update on the Yaris will bring a six-speed automatic gearbox and probably a 1.5-litre starter engine, with a hybrid model also on the cards.The Camry will be completely new and much bolder than the current car and will continue to be build at Altona in Melbourne, with a hybrid model.The other crucial model is the next Corolla, set for a preview late in 2011 and sales in 2012. Toyota extended the life of the current model so the next change is likely to be a big one.

An RACQ study conducted in Brisbane has found no discernible difference in audible detection of approaching vehicles between petrol-electric hybrids cars and conventional cars from the same manufacturer. The study by RACQ researchers Russell Manning and John Ewing follows complaints in the US by organisations representing pedestrian and blind people that hybrids are dangerous to them because they are so quiet.  Manning said the study, conducted with the help of Vision Australia, tested four vehicles with 11 volunteers, five of which were blind. "There was no significant difference in the detection distances between hybrid and similar-sized conventional vehicles in a typical urban environment with typical urban ambient noise levels," his report reads. "This is not to say that hybrids are not a risk, only that they are no more of a risk than equivalent conventional vehicles under these conditions."  Manning said noise regulations are not a concern. "To suggest that modern cars, be they hybrid or conventional, are too quiet could lead to the conclusion that noise regulations are too stringent," he says.  "We believe lower noise levels are, on balance, good from an environmental and social aspect." Volunteers in about 40 per cent of cases were unable to detect vehicles approaching at 60km/h from a safe distance.  "Had they been in the path of the vehicle  then contact would have resulted and in several cases potentially serious injury or fatality may have occurred," the report found. Manning said tyre and wind noise were the main audible signals of approaching vehicles, either hybrid or conventional.  "The lack of, or reduction in, mechanical noise from hybrid vehicles did not appear to significantly increase the risk factor," the report said. Several manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles have been working to create artificial noise to overcome concerns expressed by pedestrian and blind representative groups.  Nissan engineers worked with blind people to create special frequencies for their quiet Leaf electric vehicle, expected to arrive in Australia in the next year. Toyota and its luxury branch, Lexus, which account for the bulk of hybrid cars available in Australia, are also developing a solution to the noise concerns.  Lotus Engineering, a division of sports car maker Lotus, has developed a realistic engine sound for electric motors that varies with speed and the world's first all-electric supercar, the Tesla Roadster, is getting a "space sound generator" on its Brabus-tuned models. Owners will be able to set their Tesla to make noises similar to a V8 engine, a racecar engine or two "futuristic soundscapes" named "Beam" and "Warp".  However, it is expected that more sound effects will be added to electric cars until governments step in and legislate for the new technology. The Pedestrian Council of Australia has previously called for changes to the Australian Design Rules to set a minimum noise for vehicles powered by an electric motor.  Similar standards are being considered in the US. PCA chairman and CEO Harold Scruby said the group supported a hybrid noise requirement being legislated by the Federal Government before the vehicles became too popular.  "With an ageing population and the expectation of millions of these vehicles on our roads in the next five to 10 years, there will be a dramatic increase in pedestrian and cyclist road trauma unless this is done and without delay," he said. Vision Australia has called for hybrid vehicles to be fitted with beepers to operate when the vehicles are running on electric power only.  Spokesman Michael Simpson said Vision Australia advocated a beeper for all reversing vehicles, but believed hybrids should have a beeper when operating in electric-only mode.

Toyota has bought a significant stake in Tesla, which plans to add a prestige family sedan soon to its Lotus Elise-based Roadster, in a deal which will also revive a dormant factory in the USA. The NUMMI factory in Fremont, California - its name stands for New United Motor Manufacturing, Incorporated - was originally set us as a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. But, just like the shotgun marriage between Toyota and Holden in the 1980s in Australia, the deal fell apart and production at the factory ended this year. Now Toyota plans to assist Tesla to establish a giant new manufacturing operation at the NUMMI site as it taps into the American start-up company's expertise in electric-car technology.  It has bought a stake in Tesla costing more than $59 million and Toyota chief Akio Toyoda is bullish about the potential in the deal. "I’ve felt an infinite possibility about Tesla’s technology. Through this partnership, by working together with a venture business such as Tesla, Toyota would like to learn from the challenging spirit, quick decision-making, and flexibility that Tesla has," Toyoda says. "Decades ago, Toyota was also born as a venture business. By partnering with Tesla, my hope is that all Toyota employees will recall that ‘venture business spirit,’ and take on the challenges of the future." Tesla will build its upcoming Model S, although it is unlikely to approach the 500,000 cars-a-year production capacity at the factory.  The Model S was unveiled last year and has a target price in the USA of $49,900, a figure helped considerably by a government tax break, as well as a claimed range of 500 kilometres between re-charges. "The Tesla factory effectively leverages an ideal combination of hardcore Silicon Valley engineering talent, traditional automotive engineering talent and the proven Toyota production system," said Tesla CEO, Elon Musk.  "The new Tesla Factory will give us plenty of room to grow."  But Tesla is still in its infancy and has delivered less than 1000 of its Elise-based electric Roadster sports cars to date.

And it will come with a lithium-ion battery pack, a first for Toyota.Toyota intends to turn Prius from a single car into a full line of vehicles, partly because of its future hybrid plans and partly because its research shows people around the world instantly associate the word Prius with hybrids. The first extension of brand Prius from today's five-door family hatch is an MPV, scheduled for a debut in March 2011 - most likely at the Geneva Motor Show in Europe.It is a relatively straightforward move for a car being called the 'Alpha' in Japan. The MPV sits on the same mechanical platform as the current Prius in showrooms, but gets a body stretch for space for an extra row of seats in the back. It will be about 300 millimetres longer overall, with a wheelbase increased by 20 millimetres. The name is a similar stretch, since the car is a 'plus-Alpha' addition to the Prius.The mechanical package will be inherited straight from the Prius, which means its 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and THSII hybrid system. But it will lose out slightly to the regular car on fuel economy, thanks to its extra weight.The Alpha’s biggest claim to fame is the MPV will employ lithium-ion batteries, replacing the current Prius’s nickel-metal hydride type. At just one-third the weight of the current battery pack, the new Li-ion batteries generate greater power and are already in use in the prototype Prius plug-in hybrid.A five-seater version of the Alpha is also planned, but this vehicle will use the current nickel-hydride batteries to save cost, according to one Toyota insider. The same source tells Carsguide that Toyota is bullish about pricing and will take the Alpha seven-seater into showrooms with a price that undercuts many current MPV rivals, including the Honda Odyssey.

More than eight million of the marque’s most popular models have been recalled in the United States, Europe and China to address sticking accelerators caused by at least two separate problems -- slipping floor mats and a design fault in the pedal. To date Australia has been isolated from the problems, but the latest safety concerns over inconsistent brake feel have hit closer to home.  Toyota Australia says it is investigating reports that some owners have experienced inconsistent brake feel when the vehicle is driven over potholes, bumps or slippery road surfaces. There have been more than 100 complaints of brake problems on the Prius in the United States and the world's biggest car manufacturers says that 77 similar concerns were reported in Japan to the end of last year. Toyota has not released the number of Australian complaints. Toyota Australia says that while it is investigating the reports of Prius brake problems in Australia and will make no further comment or supply numbers of complaints the company believes there is no relationship with the earlier overseas recalls.

They won’t be coming here, but heading to the US and Europe – with 200 staying in Japan – for evaluation, mainly by government and business.The PHV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) Prius extends Toyota’s belief in hybrid currently being the most feasible system available as an alternative to conventional engines. “We believe hybrid is the best system at present,” says the car giant’s project manager for research and development, Yutaka Matsumoto. “Toyota positions plug-in hybrid vehicles as the most practical way to use electrical energy (for vehicles).Like the standard Prius, the PHV still uses regenerative technology to recharge the lithium-ion battery by capturing energy from braking, but it can also be recharged by plugging into a household mains supply from 100-200v.Running on battery only, it is reduced to short range application, but automatically shifts to the conventional petrol/battery system for mid and long-range driving. “This eliminates any worry about cruising range, which is the greatest shortcoming of electric vehicles,” Matsumoto says. “Most of those previously sold in US have not adequate range.”Toyota is working on furthering the range of lithium-ion batteries, with a goal of them offering a range of 200km by 2020.But in the meantime, Matsumoto says Toyota will direct near-future development of available electric range based on analysis of the leased PHVs’ performance and the response of their users. “In order to evaluate if the current electric range is appropriate, this plug-in has a very important role,” he says.The market response will dictate when the PHV will be available for sale. “We will be getting feedback from markets, and then decide on when it will be most appropriate to provide it,” Matsumoto says.He also flags that Toyota is carrying out research and development in other alternative fuels, including future plug-in hybrids that will be biofuel-electric and possibly solar-electric. “The plan to introduce the right car at the right place at the right time,” Matsumoto says.He cites concerns about the future of oil, saying we must prepare for when demand will exceed production some time in the ‘near future’. “Efforts to shift to alternative fuels while restricting oil consumption is necessary for the time being,” he says. “Various technologies – such as internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in, electric and fuel-cell — will coexist for the time being. “But to use the remaining oil, improving efficiency is the key with hybrid technologies.”And Matsumoto says the Toyota hybrids sold around the world are already proving the technology’s worth in terms of reducing CO2 emissions. “There have been about two million sold globally so far, and the average CO2 emissions in Europe have reduced 21 per cent over the last 10 years,” he says.Matsumoto believes that one of the biggest hurdles for the prospective Prius buyer – the high price tag of around $40,000 for the base model, compared with a conventional car – has been overcome. “Currently the Prius is in its third generation, and the cost has come down significantly,” he says. “They are competing already price-wise and cost-wise with conventional vehicles.”Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

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.