Featured Toyota MAY consider making EV cars (and presumably Lexus too)

show me the money.

china sales mean little outside china. the more they develop, the less they'll allow outsiders in. they take what they need and export everything else.

practically speaking, toyota's (and other non chinese automakers) concern is japan, u.s., and other open markets. (not saying japan is open)

 

Yes - Toyota's CAFE ratings ARE decent. But CARB credits via hydrogen ? That's an embarrassment to put it uber mildly. Do you really believe unloading ( Toyota Mirai Sales In U.S. Hits Milestone Of 250. Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Exceeds 100 ) only 250 hydrogen cars, of which 95% will be returned upon lease end, will put a dent in respiratory disease / pollution / CO2 etc? The fact that Toyota used their cronies to strong arm CARB into huge multi fold increase over EV's simply shows to power of politics. It's the same nasty strategy that Toyota recently used to actually retard long range plugin's - when the automobile manufacturers (yes, GM & others belong as well as Toyota) used their lobby power to strengthen PHEV's use of solo car-pool lanes and deliberately NOT extending stickers used for EV's. That kind of behavior is good, if those kinds of tactics work for you I suppose. And if one thinks the two above facts aren't enough to remove any doubt of Toyota's underhanded tactics, consider one of the OP's linked articles, which states;

REALLY? more practical for reducing emissions? Toyota is contracting to use Australian COAL to run their hydrogen project.
Brown coal can power hydrogen fuel cars, says Toyota – JunkScience.com
Toyota hydrogen cars could be powered by brown coal – Toyota News
Australian coal to power FCV boom - motoring.com.au
Thankyou toyota for 'reducing emissions'. Is toyota reducing ground emissions with mountains of coal ash? or reducing air emissions with coal burning exhaust. oh! i know ... they're reducing BOTH types of emissions! Thanks! There's just no end to the spin.
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I replied before I read that far. Then had to take care of some honeydews.

KT: Toyota is looking into an all-electric Prius, but I can't reveal what stage of the development process we are at or how soon an all-electric Prius will hit the market. A lot of research and development is needed in order to make the car reliant on electricity alone.

That is why instead of exploring the idea of an all-electric Prius, we are researching more into a hydrogen-powered one. In the broader term, the Toyota Mirai is an all-electric car but its electricty is generated from hydrogen. While the Mirai's electricity is produced by hydrogen, this hydrogen is not produce in a carbon-neutral manner.​

This still reads to me that they will not develop a BEV. Toyota's all-electric vision is based on hydrogen fuel cells not batteries. Why else make the prime look so much like a mirai?

I hope they do make a BEV, but until then, what are our options, an over-priced S, wait for a Model 3, or go with a leaf, bolt or volt? None of those impress me at the moment. I will have a decision to make when the Prime is released. I am leaning toward Prime because of current infrastructure. How quickly before that changes in rural areas?

 

not for awhile i'm afraid. i don't see how you can read it as hydrogen, they already have mirai, why would they need to develop a prius fcv? plus, he specifically states, 'reliant on electricity alone'. now, i'm not saying it will happen in our lifetime.

i can probably go with a bolt, cause we have my wife's hycam.

 

For the Japan ride report, it sounds like long range BEVs aren't feasible for many because of the electric supply at home. This makes the quick charge network more important in Japan, and why the Japanese government and Toyota are pushing hydrogen fuel cells.

China is the next big car market. That is why GM, VW, and even Toyota are investing there.

 

it's risky, you never know what they'll pull. no risk, no reward i guess.

 

Having just returned from 1,400 miles of BMW i3-REx on gas engine, I have a finer appreciation for:

1. larger runs before refueling - I can handle the hour and 15-20 minute drives between fueling. However, stretched out to two hours would help reduce fueling overhead. A combination of 'coding' to enable 2.4 gallons from the current 1.9 and after-body, aero-shell to improve aerodynamics might work.
   
2. engine powered efficiency - aero-drag is the biggie but the engine control laws throttle the engine instead of running ON at max efficiency; banking excess, and; OFF while using the excess.

However, the +72 miles of EV is exceptionally useful. I also like 168 hp on the rear wheels of a carbon-fiber body on aluminum frame.

Bob Wilson

 

I remember when the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles was replaced by the Fool-Cell program. My objections then about the properties of hydrogen have not changed. If a frenemy from the oil patch supports fool-cells, something is dreadfully wrong.

Bob Wilson

 

Remember Toyota did produce an ev... The rav4 in partnership with tesla. Of course it was 1 car and not a prius... But if an all ev prius was introduced at 120+mpge I'm sure it'd turn heads

 

the lights are the least of my issues.

 

I'd have whiplash...

 

Not only would I get whiplash, I would be first in line to purchase one. It's not just getting away from gasoline and emissions. It's also no more oil changes. No engine air filters. Less maintenance.

I hate oil changes. If the dealer does it it's a half hour drive, wait an hour and a half hour drive back. If I do it myself it would only take a half hour or so, but the dealership puts those oil filters on so tight I can't get em off, and I'm getting too old to do it. Or so the service dept implied. Nice way to make a sales pitch.

Toyota, you have the knowledge and experience to Lead the way to a reliable 200 mile BEV. Just do it.

 

because we need it today.

 

Ok so if the prius used all its current space for ev + solar panel I think we would have a serious contender. They should be able to get 200+ miles ev for sure.

 

An air filter takes 15 minutes max when I do it and you only have to do it every few years. An oil change takes less 30 minutes at any number of fast oil change places. You do it every 5 or 10k miles. I stop when there is no line and a bay is empty. I can take my own oil and filter if I want. Some dealers have fast lanes for oil changes, weekend and evening hours.

400 miles range takes 15 minutes for a fill up, just long enough to purchase a lottery ticket and a bathroom stop.

Compare those times with finding a charger, waiting for the guy using it to be through, waiting for your battery to charge...

 

Agree, air filters are easy with the right tools. Cabin filters can be trickier.
Last time I used a dealer for an oil change, they overfilled the crankcase by a quart, and the car was of the same brand. I have less faith in the competence of an oil change place.
The vast majority of people aren't driving 400 miles or more everyday. Charging at home meets most needs for their daily commute.

 

Yes, & he misses the point that over 90% charge it @ home. That takes maybe a whopping 7 or 8 seconds to reach for & plug in. Of course then there's that arduous 7 or 8 wasted seconds unplugging & reholstering. Whew! Someone get me a beer.

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Well I do look for the 'free' chargers and if they are full at the shopping center, I head to Whole Foods. If they are full, I do my other chores and head home to charge. I've got roughly 80 miles range per day with a night time charge.

I'm only using the range extender if I have to go out of town or doing a benchmark.

Bob Wilson