Toyota Cuts Weight of New Prius by Using More High-tensile Steel Plates

wow, to pull that off without a cost increase is amazing!

 

Have they said anything about pricing yet?

 

no, but it will be competitive.

 

The car will be $10, and the delivery fee will be $23,030.

 

Sounds like people sell things on eBay.

 

Just thinking about what happens when the car sustains a front end hit. The way that front portion is connected, looks like it'll all rotate:

 

looks like it will disperse the energy to the side... this new platform has a lot of new features for safety, it will probably end up scoring a lot better than previous cars since it has to meet standards not in play today. Previous platforms had issues with dispersing small front offset crashes which took them few years to correct.

 

What, nobody else notices that the newest car out has the best crash rating? The engineers with the last crack at it do the best. Until the next group of engineers tops them.

Which is why in the 20 year old Prius thread I wondered why anyone would WANT to drive a 20 year old car.

 

To piss off the hybrid skeptics.

Bob Wilson

 

The lower bar is commonplace to increase crash compatibility with vehicles that have different bumper/structure heights. Basically it's there to engage the crash managing structures (crumple zones) of both vehicles.

Besides whether it rotates or not doesn't matter. As long as it does the job. Those parts will be destroyed either way. I'm sure this new design will score well in current small offset tests.

 

I guess I should have stressed: I'm not saying that's necessarily bad. Just my "structural" eye.

 

Toyota did not cut the weight, rather it is increased compared to Gen 3. Please take a look at press release which clearly given the weight of this new model being more than Gen 3. It is 100KG(224 pound heavier than Gen 2).
Weight kg 1360 +10 1350 1260 1220

With all this hi-funda (like reducing weight of battery, inverters, motors, gearbox, stamped steel etc) I thought(and hoped) Prius is going to be about 2800 pound(close to Gen 2). Now we know that is not the case, infact heavier than Gen 3, and we know it has less powerful motors, I lost confidence in Gen 4 Prius being better Prius. I bet it would be dog slow, being more heavier, less power. It makes it Gen 4 , all show, no go car.

 

I think that the information shows the new Prius to be 10 kg more than the previous model, not 100. That would make the weight gain just 22 pounds.

 

With lower power output based upon the figures seen so far. So it got better handling with slower acceleration.

 

Where have you gotten the acceleration numbers? I haven't seen them.

 

I gave the weights in line. As stated infact it is 100KG more than Gen 2, and 10KG more than Gen 3.

 

You seems to believe gearing addresses the lack of power. Shorter final drive ratio reduces fuel economy/efficieny, reduces top speed.

I acknowledge early peak torque, (I also believe flatter torque curve) helps some what. But it is negated by the fact the torque rich electric motors are down sized and down rated with less torque and power. Electric motors are the ones that helps more in instant torque for acceleration.

But again on the topic about weight reduction, all this hi-tech mentioned here did not materialize in the end result of lighter car. Insulation would not add 100 pounds, neither rear suspension adds that much either. At best insulation may account for 30 additional pounds, may be additional 30 pounds for rear suspension. Savings are pretty much nothing, if any at all.

It is like claiming 20% reduction is transmission losses, which does not mean transmission efficiency improved from 70% to 90%. It is more like
transmission losses decreased from 5% to 4% (means transmission efficiency increased by 1%), but losses went down by 20% (20% of 5%).

IMHO, only real tangible/considerable improvements are, in Engine, and aero in this generation, but improvements in engine power/torue are more than negated by motor powers.

I would have liked same mileage as G3 with better power and acceleration (something similar to Volt 2) making it more drivable, rather than mere 5 MPG gain (in real sense it does not save much at all).