Prius Plus to get Lithium batteries

Interesting differences. I know US owners appear to keep their cars longer (well from reading this forum they do) and certain states have sticter warranty regulations too so the existing hybrid batteries will be suitable.

In Europe drivers travel smaller daily distances (on average) and don't keep their cars much past 100,000 miles, by which time the old tin worm will have worked its way into the metal.

 

Wow, we are seriously getting shafted on this thing in the US.

 

we Are getting shafted.

maybe not exactly because of the lithium batteries.. but 7 seats is the only reason we asked for a larger prius...

saving 7 seats for the never to come van market is a bad call. still using nimh in a new hybrid is just bad PR. (even if 60% of the people still out there don't know the difference)

PLUS.... euro didn't want bigger.. they wanted smaller. they've been waiting for the C concept (although it would sell very fast here in the states) we've been waiting for the V or +... (the prius-venza... as i c it)

our demands were simple.. more head room.. more seats... li-on... and a wider interior so the people who live at home or work from home can haul things 4 ft wide

 

Makes a change...usually it's the other way round...the US always gets everything (or atleast first) ...and cheaper!

This is how UK'ers feel all the time

 

I don't know, but with the lithium Ion battery back installed in the front sounds like a nuclear chain reaction waiting to happen...

 

I can hear it now... "If you get in a fender bender, the battery pack will explode and take out your whole neighbourhood!"

 

difference is that european Prius+ will be a LOT more expensive as it is.

 

Probably the same as the Estima HSD, in the center console (arm rest) between driver and passenger. That seems to be a great location to give up to gain a 3rd row. The battery pack can cool easier with the A/C vent right up front.

 

Weight distribution will also be much heavier up front.

 

7 seats huh. That will seat around 20 people

 

Li-Ion would be more expensive for no appreciable MPG difference. However, it will fit in....

Yes, that's the location. The battery will take up a lot of useful center console space, IMHO.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

Wow, there are some market issues making a point here.
The "Lithiumization" is very hard subject. "Why sticking with Nickel?" is always asked by reporters and media in Europe.
No one seems to remember Lithium is not easy to recycle.

Now I can say, TME, if you please hear some voices, do us a favour and ban these Prius 3G 17" wheels off the market. Add as option over a 15" base, and not mandatory for some levels as it is now.

 

do we have any pictures of Estima HSD? how small is the battery, it is not an large car (Prius+)

 

ah, i see... they have full centra console closed up as in coupe... looks good... you still have some storage space...

thing is, europeans like large and connected central consoles, empty space as in Gen2 looks cheap over here.

 

I expect that USA, Japan and some of the cheaper markets will be staying NiMH for quite some time. They'll be making 1 million batteries a year by 2015 and they'll have to go somewhere.

I sure there are people who really wanted the + here, but I think rear safety could be an issue and they probably don't want to downsize Americans so they don't kill any larger cash cows.

Still the V will expand the Prius market a bit with more cargo room and presumably easier use of child seats. Maybe the extra cargo room will make it even more usable as a taxi.

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...2011-lithium-ion-batteries-7.html#post1193328

Ken@Japan