4th generation coming 2015!

Correct. If you're really aggressive you might be able to come up with two square meters. With high efficiency solar cells at around 20% efficiency, that would produce around 400 Watts in direct sunlight. Accounting for charge and discharge efficiencies, that would give you one mile of range each hour, in round numbers.

 

Thank you Lee Jay for your remarks.

 

1 mile per hour...I'll take it.

Felt: When you mention the tax credit ending, is that for companies like Toyota as well? Are we actually getting some sort of discount buying the Liftback Prius with Solar Panels?

I'm glad Ford showed a concept on solar power trickling...

But 1 mile per hour charge, that'll increase fuel efficiency especially on a 9 hour work day, or just driving along, or just parked at our apartment. It'll suddenly make sense to get a PiP for apartment people, or for those who don't have a plug at work. Yes a perfect sunny day could yield 8 miles, but even if it's half charged I'd bet the PiP could almost match up against a 40 mile EV Volt (especially knowing that if you're stop in traffic on a sunny day or driving...)

It just makes as much sense as capturing energy while the wheels are turning.

Ford also had something else with their solar concept, something about the roof directing sunlight to be even more efficient!

 

I din't have much time, but I made a quick look back and couldn't find the article I was referring to. But as I recall, it was mententkoned that congress (which may have been the House) was scaling back on the gifts to solar manufacturers. If I see anything more I will reference it.

Regarding the roof top solar panel, I am not sure I have ever seen a Prius so equipped? Would it not have a black (or at least dark) roof? Surely, they have not sold many. Blizzard white is by far the most common color here in the mountain west, and I know I have never seen a white Prius with a dark roof.

I have grown to appreciate your post, so this is not a "put-down." But you are more of a solar enthusiast than me .... 1 mile per hour would not be worth the additional cost to me. But I suppose apartment dwellers might be attracted, or people that park outside all day. My 2010 is in the garage unless it is being driven (which is often the case. I am approaching 100,000 miles).

 

Direct sunlight in this case would mean no clouds and sun directly overhead. At other hours the sine of the sun's inclination comes into play to reduce captured energy even further.

 

That's optimistic, and only adds up to around 4.5 miles during a whole, cloudless day due to changes in sun angle.

 

Yep.

As a green use of money, the PV on a car pens out poorly compared to say, PV just about anywhere else.
Nowadays, $1 will buy you about 30 kWh of PV produced energy. I'm not exactly sure how much the PV on the Prius costs, so I will guess $2000. PV bought smartly then produces 2000*30 = 60,000 kWh;

PV on the Prius generates about 1.25 kWh/day * 15_year_life of the Prius = 6,800 kWh -- optimistically

 

The NS4 on display again at 2014 Beijing Automotive show.

Toyota Global Site | 2014 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition | TOYOTA NS4

I just can't imagine why they don't put this into production - makes the latest Camry look like an 80s Accord.

 

If it only cost me .5 mile per day in reduce fuel economy due to weight and I netted a 4 miles per day profit it would be enough to cover my low speed driving near my house at both ends of the trip allowing the gas engine to not fire up until it was truly needed. The gains in MPG could be significant by reducing "idling" further or even eliminating it.

I mean I don't know about you but I silently curse when my Prius refuses to turn off the gas engine as I coast towards my driveway at 8 mph. I'm all for any change they can make that prevents gas usage below 10mph.

*bigger battery (ala the old PiP)
*ability to charge HV battery from Solar PV
*active grill shutters
*reprogram the darn ECU so it doesn't run the gas engine below 10MPH as long as the HV battery SOC is above 40%.

 

I don'y know if this design is worth switching from a Generation 3 to a 4 if in fact this is the new design Rendering - 2016 Toyota Prius

 

Shown again??

Because...it is the codename for the Gen IV? :O

So much talk about how the Gen IV will look so much like the NS4. But where is it!?

 

On opinion when none was requested:

I personally, have no objection to a larger battery as long as it does not diminish the interior space. I really like the battery tucked out of the way beneath the rear seat.

Personally, I would be more interested on wireless charging rather than solar. I see the wireless as a solution, whereas, until technology advancements are achieved, I see solar as a novelty. (see several post a page or two back)

I completely agree with active shutters. I believe it would be most effective where it gets so cold. But I am concerned about the enormous grille's that Toyota seems to be favoring. Grilles that seem out of proportion to the cooling needs required.

Re reprogramming the ECU .... that may have occurred when the introduced the G3. On my 2010 on a cold day, when stopped at a stop light, if the heater is on, I can stop the ICE by turning off the heater fan motor. When the light changes, I turn the fan back on. During the summer, the ICE rarely runs when stopped.

 

And Toyota is investing in wireless charging. But honestly that's probably only going to be installed at home at a premium. AND...what's the inefficiency? By a direct wire it's still hard to capture all the current into the PiP but add wireless we might be even more inefficient - it'd be good to know what #s Toyota comes up with either way

 

There is no difference there between Gen II and Gen III.

I'm not talking about turning the engine off when stopped,I'm talking about turning the engine off while still moving but at low speeds.

For example at the end of a trip where I've been up to 60mph+ but I get to the side street near my house and I'm doing 8 mph avoiding dogs and pedestrians. I want the system to be smart enough to go EV mode below 10MPH and I want the HV battery to be large enough that it can do so 95% of the time I am below 10MPH.

 

We jumped so far ahead that we missed this.

Rendering is obviously theoretical though and doubtful considering it looks too much like the Gen III.

Toyota is trying to live up to expectations on how the Prius changed from Gen I to Gen II (sedan echo figure to hatchback wedge figure). So I do expect more NS4-ish drastic design.

What gets me though is you can type in "2016 prius" in google and you'll get a lot of results.

Is 2016 how it's gonna be now?

May is coming...we'll know if there's a 2015 rollover :\

 

MAYBE the new IIHS "small-offset" crash-test criteria has delayed Toyota's originally intended announce date?

 

Not even close, but I'll post it anyway!

トヨタ プリウス【スクープ！】：ニューモデル速報｜中古車情報！CarSensor

 

I could not help but notice that the above depiction illustrates a minimal grille. That is completely inconsistent with the latest speculations (see the post for the past severe pages).

BTW, it still does not "knock my socks off."

 

I've heard multiple articles talking about 4WD on the next gen now...below 20 miles an hour or so. If that's the case that would solve a lot of problems and maybe be low enough rpms to not lose mpgs? Welp.

Edmunds info about the 2015 Prius has a target launch of Fall 2014, but upon reading it more it says "reveal fall 2014" release early 2015.

So damn, Prius is definitely not coming out this year then...probably obvious now since the LA motor show is a long ways away