Featured Toyota BEVs

The EPA Tier 2 emission standards for pollutants were just a little stricter than Euro6. Europe has regulations and incentives based on a car's carbon emissions though.

 

Since we're a CARB state, NJ is pushing ZEV big time, but they still have to work on charging infrastructure. Right now, on the most heavily travelled intrastate highway, the Garden State Parkway, they're working on one charging station for its entire length.
Home - Drive Green - Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability (AQES) | Department of Environmental Protection

 

And another Toyota BEV with 1 million km battery warranty, but this time also 15 years:
Toyota Reveals PROACE Electric With 15 Year/1 Million Km Battery Warranty

Interesting is that this is not Toyota only vehicle it's a shared platform with PSA and from what I know Toyota didn't exactly develop this drivetrain or battery. It's also interesting that PSA reincarnations (e-Jumpy, e-Expert, Vivaro-e) of basically the same van will only have 8 year/160k km warranty.

Is Toyota just accounting the risk into the price or does Toyota know more about the longevity of today's batteries?

 

I have owned a couple of BEV's with air cooled batteries and had no problems with it. Two of them had forced air cooling that worked in different manners. I owned a 2002 RAV4 EV which used NiMH batteries that were forced air cooled. Air was taken in at the rear quarter panels and pressurized the battery pack by forcing air from the top of the battery modules, around the modules and exited through holes under the battery tray. I operated the car in the Florida Keys for several years without any battery problems or degradation issues. I owned a Chevrolet S10-E pickup with first generation Li-Ion batteries which were very sensitive to thermal issues. That pack was also air cooled. However, there was an air conditioning evaporator located in the cooling path that could provide refrigerated air to the battery modules. Again, no problems with the pack from temperature issues. This vehicle was used in a cooler climate (Michigan) but the system did its job with the exception that the A/C compressor was an early design of a DC inverter unit which had issues.

The problem is when you have no cooling at all. I also owned a couple of Nissan LEAF's in Florida. In the short time I owned them (one year for each) they were already showing signs of degraded batteries even though they were parked at night in an air conditioned garage. I prefer liquid cooling if you can get it. My Tesla has it and my ex Chevy Volt had it. However, if you have a well designed air cooled system (like the one in my Corolla Hybrid which draws air from the cabin) then in my observation, it will do the job unless you are in an extreme environment.

 

It is simply marketing. We need the prices of the models to see how much Toyota is adding for warranty coverage.

There is a question of regulatory forces. Toyota recently increased the hybrid warranty to 10yr/150k miles country wide in the US. Their press release left out that there is EPA credits for cars with emission warranties of such length.

 

Credits or not, if there were many failures in the 10 year period Toyota would newer offer it. I must say that I'm more impressed about the 15 years than the million kilometrs.

 

in the past, many plug-in car warranties we're hardly more than a shell game, claiming so many years or so many miles, but the warranty practically required catastrophic failure, rather than a percentage of capacity loss after so many miles. It was only after Tesla began guaranteeing no more than somuch capacity loss after so many miles - that other manufacturers were forced to actually put more teeth to what they were implying.
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In the US, parts of the hybrid system, including the battery, are considered part of the emission system. So they fall under the federally mandated emission warranty all ICE cars have of 8yrs/80k miles(might be 100k). In order to qualify for incentives in CARB states, like rebates or HOV access, the car needed a 10yr/150k mile one. Not having that warranty meant not having those incentives to help sales.

This dates back to at least as far as the gen 2 Prius. They have the data showing there isn't many failures, yet they only extended the long warranty nationwide once they got a federal carrot to do so.

We don't know the specifics of this warranty yet. The article thinks the longest one will only be on the larger pack. For all we know the 15yr only applies to the first owner. Hyundai did that with their lifetime battery warranty.

 

What really surprises me is this is a 180 degree change from Lexus. Not 7 years ago, Lexus would have nothing to do with Lithium Ion batteries.

Lexus shuns lithium batteries, will wait for next-generation

So consider me stunned when Lexus announced not only the first BEV, but it would be a Lithium Ion battery and they would back up an air cooled battery with a 10 year warranty. Finding they used more Lithium Ion batteries in Lexus hybrids is pretty evident they are impressed with their new battery.


iPad ? Pro

 

If you are talking plug in market, it is China, Europe, and US, in that order.