Featured Toyota EVs At Tokyo Motor Show

Is that a go-kart?

 

don't forget the Volkswagen group. They've committed to go 100% plug in w/in just a few years - presuming all their Liars are now in jail. Even so, VW is one of the largest manufacturers of Transportation in the world

sounds like an argument for both sides

On one hand, what's a car worth in 3 years? On the other hand we worry about a battery lasting 10 years? Fact is, some of the Tesla's are approaching 10 years with roughly 10% loss, and some of those cars are over a ¼ million miles and growing. Speaking of cars that are just a year or two or three old, if we're going to 'worry' about those poor unfortunates that can afford a $40k car new, that 3 year old car has some depreciation on it - which makes it affordable to the average Schmo. Or maybe I'm the only one who has purchased 90% of my cars used.
.

 

Hey, an electric roadster got the party started for that other T brand.

 

A car that will mostly sit in a rich celebrities garage except when they want to show it off at a Hollywood event to get attention and maybe Batman

 

So more Ariel Atom 2 EV.

 

One of the major networks ran a story about the Prius, it's competition against a growing hybrid market, manufacturers transitioning to EV's & how the Prius really contributed to Uber efficient transportation, even though US sales have been declining over the past few years.

Even though it leaves the listener with the notion that Toyota has lagged behind other manufacturers due to their slow entry into BEV's, overall, the story follows a pretty accurate line. One shortcoming of this bio is that it fails to log the fact that the market is buying less cars, which is a factor with diminished sales of the Prius.
All in all, it might be a good thing that Prius sales are down, coupled with China's demand for a Bev if Toyota wants to sell to the largest market. The 2 prong pressure of increased Bev markets seems to be pushing them out of their constipated outlook towards the BEV. It's not easy to give up free money building lots of land barges.
.

 

Nope, go-karts are real.

Mike

 

Most of us here are old enough to remember our needs and wants for cars and light trucks through out life. Your first car, your first wrecked car, your "I'm broke" car, your first new car, your "I'm married now" car, your "I have kids now" car/minivan/SUV, the P/U, my car, her car, the kids car, the I have money retirement car, the I don't drive much anymore car, ect...

Not counting that "so called" fuel shortage and disasters, one constant has always remained, regardless of financial status. You can always buy gas anywhere anytime and be on the road in minutes...and we depend on this because most of the time we are on a mission-critical schedule to be somewhere soon. As a side-bar...that's why "most" people no not check their lights, fluids and tire pressures while refueling in this age of self-serve.

Fills what gaps you can, but until and if "they" ever solve the logistic/time/cost equation for the vehicle needs and wants of every stage of one's life...BEV's will remain a niche market in the big picture.

 

Which is why I respectfully stated..."Fill what gaps you can, but..."

Giving up freedom....even when not fully exercised...is a slippery slope.

 

They will always be excuses people will make about owning a EV. We have heard them all at this point, so there is no need to repeat them. Sadly, I think while the rest of the world will be adopting and making EVs apart of their everyday culture and transportation needs, the US will be still stuck behind with having ICE cars and using ignorance and political beliefs as reasoning and "facts" on not to get an EV. The most common one I hear is "EVs are no cleaner than ICE as they need to be plugged in to get power and that power comes from coal, natural gas or nuclear power and the mining of those batteries do worse for the environment than that entire life of a person using an ICE car". If I could knock those people upside the head for that type of ignorance, I would.

 

the latest is lithium recycling

 

Next thing you'll tell me is the US won't switch to metric like they told me in class in the 1970s.

 

I like the Speed Racer car. Always have since the late 60's
Just as @The Electric Me ! or check out the tube

 

Photographing And Driving The Real Speed Racer Mach 5 | Fstoppers

 

i liked my 911 cab too, but it's just not very practical for the other 95% of drivers. Doesn't mean there's not a place for them, but if you don't build EV's for the masses, how can you ever expect to get sales above 5%?
.

 

For me? I re-remembered many, many years later how much I liked Speed Racer when I was the a very little kid. I had forgotten how much I liked Speed Racer when I was in the "toddler set". Then as an adult, just for kicks I watched a few episodes of the original Speed Racer cartoon, and it awakened a lot of those forgotten memories.

Speed Racer has to be one of the first television shows I was allowed to watch regularly...along with the usual fair of Sesame Street, The Electric Company.

When you're 6,7,8 years old, the quality of the animation doesn't matter so much. It's the followable plot lines. It's the Mach 5 vs. the other cars. Watching episodes decades later? Reminded me how I loved the Mach 5, and had numerous plastic toy cars that I would pretend were the Mach 5...sitting on the living room floor and making the Mach 5 "jump" sound.

I'd easily go as far as saying these early seeds are what lead me to buying a Prius. The Mach 5...was the ultimate gadget vehicle. The dash board was the equivalent of a Batman utility belt....with buttons to press to make anything "needed" happen.
So no surprise a Hybrid Prius....with multiple software feedback screens, and driving modes, would appeal to me today. It's as close to a Mach 5 from a gadget perspective as you can get.

I've never wanted to lower my suspension. But give me a button that would allow the vehicle to jump over other vehicles? I'd be there in a heartbeat.