Toyota Now More Optimistic On Plug-Ins, Says N. American VP

[hatrack]

Toyota has had a change of heart about plug-in hybrid vehicles, said Dennis Cuneo, senior vice president of the company's North American operations.

In March, Toyota engineers said the concept of a car that can be recharged at home overnight and uses gasoline only when its batteries run low was interesting. But they said then that the high-tech batteries needed to make it work could take as long as 10 years to develop.

But yesterday, Cuneo said the automaker is more hopeful that the batteries could be ready soon. Speaking at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting at the Galt House, he said Toyota believes it could have a plug-in hybrid ready sooner. "We're a little more optimistic now of breakthroughs that would make (lithium-ion batteries) viable in the near term," Cuneo said. "We're working on this, and a lot of other companies are tackling this problem."

Today's hybrids use batteries made from nickel, but those are too heavy to be practical in a vehicle that would derive most of its power from electricity, Toyota executive engineer Dave Hermance said this year. Lithium-ion batteries are the likely solution, but reliable ones have not been available in the sizes needed.

EDIT

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060728/BUSINESS/607280343

[MelissaB]

1. Yes!

I can get excited about this.

I must have missed this info.

...snip

So far, the only automaker to produce plug-in hybrids has been DaimlerChrysler, which has built a small fleet of test Sprinter commercial vans.


I do remember reading about these. More info on the vans here:

http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom/0-5-7165-1-456546-1-0-0-0-0-0-1371-7165-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html

[w4rma]

2. At least the Japanese are researching those patents.

It sure isn't happening in America anymore.

[dpbrown]

3. I wanna retrofit my Prius!

:cry:

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Two things .......

First ... the Galt House in Louisville is a rat trap. Can't they do better?

Second, and now with my cynical tongue out of my cheek and back where it belongs, this is similar to what we faced with early cell phones. The old ones used, big, heavy, unreliable, memory vulnerable nickel (NiMh) batteries. The new ones use lithium ion batteries that are so far and away better.

I'm encouraged to see that this research is moving forwad. I'd saddened that our own automakers are once again on the sidelines, waiting. A **REAL** American president who was concerned for his country more than himself would have incentivised the hell out of such research.

[dcfirefighter]

5. We need a plug in Ambulance

I'm hopeful that the Daimler/M-B/Freightliner/Dodge Sprinter will have a plug-in diesel HEV version, they've already made a few. An urban ambulance 1) has a high electrical load 2) idles much of the time 3) often operates indoors or near hospital entrances and 4) deals with urban driving cycles.

It'd be a nice match. A factory Ford version, or a version on International or Freightliner business class chassis would sell hundreds if not thousands a year. Such a version would be great for urban pickup & delivery vehicles, as well.

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

6. "Nobody will catch Toyota"

According to my father, Engineer, VP of a major Japanese auto parts manufacturing company until he retired, "Nobody will catch Toyota." They have been way ahead of the game in alternative engineering of cars, trucks and almost all kinds of vehicles.

The American companies could have saved themselves back in the 70's by investing research dollars in these technologies. Instead they bowed to the oil companies so now, "Nobody will catch Toyota." It's sad.

[Strelnikov_]

7. I Tend To Agree. Consider That All They Have To Do Is Drop A Higher

capacity battery in the Prius and they have PHEV's.

Everyone else is generations behind. Even Honda, since their system does not have an electric only mode that would permit modification to a PHEV, to the best of my knowledge.

If I had a tin-foil hat on, I would think Toyota was moving in this direction even while they were publicly denying interest in PHEV's.