Toyota Prius 2012 News

...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...  

After 76 years as king of the hill, General Motors is expected to be dethroned by Toyota this year as the world's No.1 carmaker.But if GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner is worried, although he is not showing it.“We'll see how it comes out,” he says. “Toyota started ahead in the first quarter of 2007, but we passed them in the third quarter, so it's a race. As I recall, we lead in 13 of the world's 15 largest markets, but Toyota has a huge lead in Japan.”Wagoner says GM is still focused on its plan to deliver “great cars, smart marketing, growth in the emerging markets . . . and hopefully that will keep us on top.”“If not, we'll come back to work the next day and work even harder.”A confident Wagoner spoke last week in an online global chat session called GMNext that opened a series of events to mark the company's 100th anniversary.His comments came amid concerns GM is not moving quickly enough to embrace newer hybrid and flex-fuel vehicle technologies in a time of soaring fuel prices.Despite claims to the contrary, GM is behind European marques in adopting frugal turbodiesels for passenger cars and expanding them into North America.Wagoner enthusiastically talked up alternative technologies but could not give a firm on-sale date for GM's Volt electric car, saying only that it would probably be on sale in 2010.The Chevy Volt concept runs on a three-cylinder 1.0-litre internal-combustion engine and on a lithium ion battery pack. It can operate as an all-electric and petrol-powered car.“The Chevy Volt, and the E-Flex system, are really important for GM's and the whole industry's future,” Wagoner says.“The growing demand for oil means we need to diversify the sources of power for autos away from our traditional 98 per cent reliance on oil."“As to when the Volt will hit the road, we continue to put massive resources into producing it as soon as possible.”Wagoner says GM is moving “fast” on diesels.“We have a major commitment to diesels ourselves, in Europe and increasingly in the US, where we see the usage focused on heavier vehicles,” he says. “But we also are placing huge bets on electrically driven vehicles, fuel cells and biofuels.”After the debacle over its ill-fated EV1 all-electric car, GM says it's reclaiming lost ground on hybrid technology and had not been caught napping.“Toyota has done a fine job with the Prius,” he says. “But we are moving fast with technologies like E-85, all-electric, fuel cells, and a wide range of hybrid offers, including the widely acclaimed two-mode system.”In comparison, Toyota's hybrid Prius has been on sale for 10 years and is into its second-generation model. The company has also signalled its intention to have a hybrid available in every one of its models by 2020.Toyota releases its 2007 sales figures at the end of the month.GM remains No. 1, selling 3.82 million vehicles last year, down 6 per cent from 2006. 

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.

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. 

The world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius, was launched in Japan in 1997. It reached North America, Europe and here in 2000. The company now makes hybrid minivans, SUVs, rear-wheel-drive sedans and other vehicles. Last month, Toyota announced the sale of its one millionth hybrid worldwide while Toyota Australia set a monthly record of 380 Prius sales. Toyota Australia's senior executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner, said increased availability of the Prius, along with greater environmental consciousness was a key driver for sales. In Australia, the only hybrids we see are the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius and Lexus RX400h SUV and GS 450h saloon. The LS 600h comes later this year. Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota. So far this year, only 2081 hybrids have been sold here out of a total market of 419,279 or just 0.5 per cent. Of these, 1290 (62 per cent) were bought by governments. The Queensland Government recently announced sales tax increases on new vehicles, but kept the level at 2 per cent for hybrids. It is one of the few state or federal government incentives for hybrids in this country. That compares with a raft of hybrid incentives in the US, Europe and the UK such as personal and company tax rebates, free parking and transit lane use regardless of occupant numbers. While hybrids are an economic boon in LA's stop-start and slow-moving traffic, they are no more fuel miserly than a diesel in moderate or highway traffic. Apart from fuel economy, the other selling factor is the lack of greenhouse gases. But diesels with particulate filters can be just as environmentally sound in certain conditions. Toyota has calculated that as of April 30, 2007, worldwide sales of its hybrid vehicles since 1997 have produced about 3.5 million fewer tonnes of CO2 compared with petrol-powered similar vehicles. However, some point out that the “whole-of-life” environmental impact of hybrids is affected by disposing every 10 years of the large battery with its lethal contents. Also, according to the latest NRMA running costs surve; hybrids not only have higher initial costs but also depreciate faster. Meanwhile, LPG car sales and conversions have outpaced Federal Government expectations, since the launch of their subsidy scheme last August. The scheme provides a $2000 rebate for private motorists, who convert a petrol-powered vehicle to run on LPG Autogas and a $1000 rebate for the private purchase of a new LPG vehicle. Despite more than $100 million in grants being paid out to more than 52,000 motorists, Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the subsidy would continue until 2014.  

General Motors has awarded contracts to companies to help speed up development of its plug-in electric car the Chevrolet Volt, chairman Rick Wagoner said yesterday.Mr Wagoner, speaking at the company's annual shareholders meeting, also said GM would introduce four new hybrid models this year.The contracts to design and test lithium-ion batteries went to Michigan-based Compact Power and to Continental Automotive systems, Mr Wagoner said.“Given the huge potential that the Volt and its E-flex system offers to lower oil consumption, lower oil imports and reduced carbon gas emissions, this is for sure a top priority program for GM,” he said.The Volt, unveiled in January at the Detroit Auto Show, has a battery-powered electric motor that can run the car for up to 64km on a single charge. Beyond that, a petrol-powered, one-litre, three-cylinder engine can generate electricity to replenish the battery, giving the car a range of up to 1030km, GM said.GM's announcement came as Honda said it will discontinue the hybrid version of its Accord sedans, conceding Toyota's dominance with the hit Prius hybrid.GM shareholders voted down a series of stockholder initiatives, including a bylaws change proposed by the Community of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, New Jersey, that the company set goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

But the Toyota Prius is much more than a fashion statement. The hybrid green car, which can run on petrol and electricity, has just been named the most satisfying car to own in a poll of motorists. Showrooms have reported exceptional demand for the Prius, especially in London, where there is a two-month waiting list and where the car is exempt from the £8-a-day congestion charge. This is the first time the Japanese family car has been included in the annual league table of British motorists' satisfaction. Nine of the top 12 places were taken by Japanese models either those belonging to Toyota, its luxury arm Lexus or rival Honda. First place was shared by the Lexus IS and the Prius. Both scored 86.8 per cent against an industry average of 79 per cent. The Skoda was the only European manufacturer to make the top 12. Three of its cars ranked in the leading dozen. Hollywood actors who use the Prius include Leonardo diCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Jane Fonda, Harrison-Ford and Meryl Streep. In Britain, it is favoured by Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and the Liverpool footballer Harry Kewell. The late DJ John Peel also drove one. The Prius switches between petrol and electric power to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas blamed for global warming. With its electric motor and petrol engine, it averages about 65.7miles per gallon. Worst ranked out of 113 cars, was the Smart Roadster, followed by the Chrysler Voyager and Grand Voyager a past favourite. The poll was complied by global quality experts J.D Power in association with What Car? magazine. It was based on feedback from motorists after two years of ownership. What Car? editor Steve Fowler said the Toyota Prius clearly demonstrated that car owners think green is good. 'We know there's an increase in consumer interest in environmentally friendly cars here in the UK, and with the Prius topping the model rankings in the 2007 study, we may be seeing a trend emerging,” he said.