Featured Toyota Announces Massive Electric Car Rollout, 10 EVs By Early 2020s

While I look forward to seeing Pure EV Toyota on the road, I suspect not too many American's are lining up to buy pure EV as long as gas price stays cheap.

 

"China on line 2, sir."

If you think a hydrogen infrastructure is difficult in developed economies, try it in less developed ones. Even ones with central planning.

Bob Wilson

 

toyota has a finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. staring to sound like vdub.

 

And isn't China still burning coal for electricity? What good would that do to environment, I must wonder?

 

Everyone is burning coal but the Chinese use super-steam plants with turbine inlet temps of 1000 C vs 600 C. They get more electricity per ton to burn less per kWh.

They are also making a lot of wind turbines and photocells. Reports are their trends are the right way.
China Renewable Energy Outlook 2017 | Sun & Wind Energy
How China is leading the renewable energy revolution | World Economic Forum

At the start of 2017, China announced that it would invest $360 billion in renewable energy by 2020 and scrap plans to build 85 coal-fired power plants. In March, Chinese authorities reported that the country was already exceeding official targets for energy efficiency, carbon intensity, and the share of clean energy sources. And just last month, China’s energy regulator, the National Energy Administration, rolled out new measures to reduce the country’s dependence on coal.

These are just the latest indicators that China is at the center of a global energy transformation, which is being driven by technological change and the falling cost of renewables. But China is not just investing in renewables and phasing out coal. It also accounts for a growing share of global energy demand, meaning that its economy’s continuing shift toward service- and consumption-led growth will reshape the resource sector worldwide.
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Bob Wilson

 

After profit, world (China) markets are the major factor in long term corporate thinking. IOW, viewing major decisions like this from only a US-centric way is no longer correct.

The coal-fire plants are already built and running so it's easier (and much cheaper) to clean up those relatively few sources of the pollution and use EV's in the major urban centers to greatly reduce local pollution generation to tackle the problem from several fronts. They have a lot of work to do but they, especially politically, don't need convincing that they need to work fast.

 

Your statement is probably right, which is too bad. After spending the majority of my life driving and paying gas prices at the mercy of OPEC, I would love to see them go out of business.

 

Sure they are, and so is america and europe and japan.

But while japan is still increasing coal, and using coal to supply their fuel cell vehicles, china has peaked in coal.
IEEFA Update: China Is Now Three Years Past Peak Coal - Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis : Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis

That means that china is not going to be building new coal plants to fuel the plug-ins they are building, nor did the US. Both countries are past peak coal. Plug-in adoption may slow or speed up the closing of coal power plants, but for sure it is likely to reduce oil use in the US and China (the 2 largest purchasers of plug-ins and producers of ghg).

I don't think the argument - make plug-ins burn more coal - is legitimate in the 2 largest car markets.

 

Sure, 400,000 thousand in line isn't enough?
Gas prices staying low has very little effect. Wariness of the unknown is a much bigger factor IMO.
That will change over time, and when Toyota feels it is 'safe' they will dive in.

 

or at least when they start losing sales.

 

Because BEVs are expensive. Bolt is a cool car, but $39k base sticker price, ouch! About size of Honda fit which has $20k less sticker. But yes Bolt is overall nicer.

I've seen small crowds gathering around every model 3 I've seen in parking lots. < This is what is needed to sell lots of EVs. Within 10 years low prices on BEVs w solid state batteries will boost sales.
Tesla is super smart: They build desirable cars.

 

Even when powered from a coal plant, driving an EV is better than a typical gas car, IMO.

First, most EVs exceed 100 MPGe, while the average gas car is 25 mpg. Accounting for thermal efficiency of the coal plant (typically 35%) anything over ~75 MPGe is a win...for CO2. Sure the best mpg in hybrids (~50 mpg) edges out most EVs...but they are both much better than the average ICE. And most people have a mix of some coal and other sources.

Coal pollution is emitted at the plant which can be outside dense cities. Another win for lower smog.

Getting people to switch to EVs and establishing a mass market, lowering costs, improving the range, and improving the charging infrastructure shouldn't wait until we have no more coal plants. Making coal an excuse to not move forward is counter productive.

Mike

 

The cruel irony is @bisco and his fellow Boston beans don't get the economic taste from affordable electrical rates.

Bob Wilson

 

sure, rub it in at least we're clean, mean and green!

 

Doesn't look like Lexus LFA are exactly beating sporty/fast EV's to the punch:
Lexus LFA Sales Figures | GCBC
and the high end sales of other gasser luxo cars are getting their lunch eaten too.
isn't that why all the other high end manufacturers are racing to get into the game?
or are they still changing their shorts

.

 

i think they've run out of clean shorts. might be time for adult diapers.

 

New Nissan Leaf set to dominate plug-in car sales in Japan - Push EVs

Someone has a very good (?) memory, quoting Craig Scott 2014 statement, but forgetting how much Toyota has changed and promised in official announcements...