Dear Valued Hybrid Customer...

This is satire. Toyota did not actually write this letter.

Nate

 

Has to be no company would shoot themselves in the foot like that.

 

I agree, and it's not even very good satire.

 

True - but I think everyone should drop the author (his email at the bottom) a quick polite note telling him he is full of it.

 

must... not... feed... troll....
(not necessarily kirbinster, as this may be a "look how dumb this is" post)

 

He's got a point about all the latest HSD vehicles though. Are there any new Toyotas on the horizon that will actually use the HSD to make them more efficient rather than faster?

 

I know that it is satire, but there is much truth in the write-up. I refer you to my original post on here--"Smoke and Mirrors". Is the Prius a very fuel efficient and low emissions vehicle, absolutely, but to think that it was never part of a larger corporate agenda is very naive.

 

No, he doesn't have a point. All he did was ignore the misconception that Toyota disspelled by releasing the power version with HSD first.

Yes, the next Toyota (Camry-Hybrid) will emphasize efficiency more than power.

This is yet another example of selecting only certain info to imply a purpose rather than looking at the big picture.

 

Camry doesn't count as far as I'm concerned - it's not available in Europe (and is even bigger than the Prius, so will be less efficient).

Apart from that, will it actually be the most efficient Camry?

 

i want the comprable vehicle for 12k =)

 

It is equally as cynical to think that Toyota's only using this for image gain... Toyota has spent too much of it's own R&D dollars and engineering man-hours to just be a marketing tactic for the short term alone.

They intend to use it in every vehicle they make... there is long term strategy here that you refuse to acknowledge.

 

Unlike the Accord Hybrid, which came in V6, and delivers performance better than the regular V6 but economy slightly worse than the 4 cylinder version and worse emissions (the V6 hybrid is still a ULEV, while the 4 cyl comes in a SULEV config)...

the camry will start with a 4 cylinder engine... HSD is very good at reducing emissions, so this Camry Hybrid should achieve SULEV easily.

So to answer your quesiton, it will definitely be the most efficient Camry, because it won't be tuned for performance.

 

I think the long-term strategy was an evolutionary strategy and is still subject to outside variables(other tech, cost, gas prices etc). Toyota's proclamation of using the hybrid throughout their line-up is a very recent development.(ie $3 gas)

 

Being a sadist, no..satyr...oh skip it.

I understand satire when I read it.

About this 'hybrid premium' thing: it's a myth, at least as far as the Prius goes. There is no comparable vehicle.

It is unfortunate, though not unexpected, that a potentially gas saving technology has been perverted for more power.

What 'larger corporate agenda' is there, other than to make money?

 

Doubtful.

The move to create an efficient hybrid version of the Camry is a significant one, and not one made on a whim. The Camry is one of their best selling vehicles, and to create a hybrid version of that vehicle means that they aim to introduce hybrid technology into the mainstream... get consumers used to the idea that all cars should incorporate the technology.

They want an actual return on investment on hybrid technology... you can't argue that they haven't spent a lot of resources on it already to develop the technology... selling a high volume item like the Camry is a big step.

 

What total bullshit. A sad reflection of the tunnel vision of the WSJ.

Suppose I'm a doctor and volunteer to work for free at a local clinic one day a week. That doesn't save me money, so by the WSJ's logic, it doesn't benefit society. Riiiight.

So having more petroleum available to everyone else, at what will therefore be a lower price, is not a benefit to society? Sheesh, why don't we hear the WSJ complaining every time the US strategic reserve is used? Or even campaigning to get rid of it?

So basically, we should all consume as much oil as possible, so as to force the price of gasoline up and force the world to develop alternative technologies? Excellent strategy.

Assuming, of course, those technologies pan out...

 

Toyota wants to make money on big trucks and SUVS while maintaining the 'Toyota is green' image in the media and thus the American consumer. I don't want to get into all of this again, but if you ask 100 consumers on the street which comparable vehicle gets better mileage I can't imagine that today 95% wouldn't pick Toyota over any domestic. If you really get into strict comparisons you'll find that in many cases this isn't the case, and certainly isn't the case with trucks and SUV's.

 

Toyota is a profit-making company. They're not martyrs. They don't make all their vehicles fuel efficient because the US consumer, unfortunately, generally doesn't give a crap about that.

What makes Toyota green is (a) they offer the option of fuel efficiency, which most of the US manufacturers don't do; and (b) they are green in other areas, like recycling. (See news of their recent EPA award.)

If you do the math, I suspect you'll find that the average fuel efficiency across Toyota's range of vehicles is higher than that across Ford's range, or GM's range. Sure, they still make some gas guzzlers--because some Americans will only buy gas guzzlers. You don't get to stay in business by ignoring the market and just doing what you think is best.

 

Fine, it isn't the case with SUVs and trucks...

But that's the consumer's fault for not doing their homework. Moreover, picking people on the street is not fair because i'm willing to bet that most people aren't actively looking for a vehicle right at this moment. The moment they do, it takes 15 minutes of research online to show the fuel economy numbers.

A smart consumer would work out the numbers, test drive the cars, and make an informed decision. A stupid consumer would impulse buy something. That's no different for ANYTHING in life.

But that doesn't change the fact that hybrid is a technology that Toyota has spent too much on to not widely deploy. Letting it languish in favor of their truck buiseness is extremely foolish... their recent push with hybrid is anything but a smokescreen, because they are actually selling vehicles, and they are actually selling like hotcakes.

and i just checked. Toyota announced their wide hybrid strategy (across all product points, starting with the Camry) long before gas was $3.00 this summer.