TOYOTA HYBRID CARS

Toyota pushes Prius incentives

2007-12-16T13:47:00.000+07:00

Faced with intensifying competition in hybrid market, the company's recent leasing and financing offers have spurred sales gains.

To combat increased production and more competition from other hybrid vehicles, including some of its own, Toyota has introduced a large incentive program on its popular Prius.

The "ECO-nomic savings bonus" on the 2007 Prius involves discounts on specific option packages. Discounts range from $600 to $2,000.

Toyota offered some lease and financing incentives in February and March, resulting in Prius sales increases of 86.8 percent and 133.2 percent respectively.

As recently as last year, the Prius was selling at prices close to its manufacturer's suggested sticker price, and there were waiting lists for the cars. Demand so outstripped supply of the Prius that, a year or more ago, owners could sell their used Priuses and get back just as much as they originally paid for the car.

In the meantime, Toyota has increased production of the Prius to meet that demand. It also introduced a new hybrid version of its popular Camry sedan.

The Prius, Camry Hybrid and Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV have been the best-selling hybrid vehicles from the beginning of 2006 to last month, according to Toyota.

Toyota shares edged upward Wednesday. Among the company's chief rivals are DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Ford and Honda Motor.

Taken from CNN

Toyota Prius 2008

2007-11-15T17:30:00.000+07:00

Every day, more and more people are discovering the great economy and value in the Toyota Prius. So we're making it easier than ever to get behind the wheel of your very own, with savings of up to $2000 [2]. The Prius boasts an EPA-estimated combined city/highway rating of 46 miles per gallon [3], an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating resulting in nearly 70% fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle. Great features like Push Button Start, available cruise control, keyless entry, power door locks and windows, and a liquid crystal multi-information display make the 2008 Toyota Prius the clear choice of drivers.

Toyota strives to build vehicles to match customer interest and thus they typically are built with popular options and option packages. Not all options/packages are available separately and some may not be available in all regions of the country. If you would prefer a vehicle with no or different options, contact your dealer to check for current availability or the possibility of placing a special order.

Some vehicles are shown with available equipment. Seatbelts should be worn at all times. For details on vehicle specifications, standard features and available equipment in your area, contact your Toyota dealer. A vehicle with particular equipment may not be available at the dealership. Ask your Toyota dealer to help locate a specifically equipped vehicle.

Taken from www.toyota.com

Redesigned Toyota Highlander debuts

2007-02-07T11:03:00.000+07:00

New version larger and rounder than current model, available in V6 and Hybrid versions only.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota unveiled the redesigned 2008 Toyota Highlander at the Chicago Auto Show Wednesday.

The new design has softer edges and corners making it look more like a larger version of Toyota's popular Rav4 small SUV.

The Highlander is a car-based crossover SUV based on the engineering of the midsized Toyota Camry sedan. It was originally introduced in 2001.

"The 2008 Highlander takes the car-based SUV concept to a new level," said Don Esmond, senior vice president for Toyota Motor Sales. "I say that with conviction, because it's a category we invented."

The new version is about four inches longer than the current Highlander and includes second row seats that can be changed from separate "captain's chairs" with armrests to a single bench-style seat.

When not in use, the center portion of the "bench" can be hidden in a compartment under the front center console.

The second row seats also recline and can move 4.7 inches forward or backward to create more legroom or cargo space.

A four-cylinder engine will no longer be offered in the new Highlander. Instead, buyers will get two drivetrain choices. The new Highlander will be available with a 3.5-liter 270-horsepower V6 with a 5-speed automatic transmission or a gasoline/electric hybrid system with a slightly smaller V6 coupled with an electric motor and a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Fuel economy figures are not yet available for the new Highlander. The current front-wheel-drive V6 Highlander gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

The current FWD Highlander Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 29 mpg. The new version will have virtually the same fuel economy, according to Toyota.

The non-hybrid Highlander is expected to go on sale in July, 2007 followed by the hybrid version in September.

Driving green: My hybrid days

2007-01-29T15:10:00.000+07:00

We take the Toyota Prius into the real world of New York City and find a few surprises.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - I really tried to avoid getting sucked in, but after four days, it was too much to resist. I had insisted I would drive like a New Yorker. But, finally, I let a car soften me. And what did that get me?

An extra five miles to the gallon.

(Picture Above: 2004 Toyota Prius in Queens, New York.)

I recently spent five days with a Toyota Prius, courtesy of Toyota. It surprised me. I had always read, and written, that the car's gas mileage was better in stop-and-go city driving than it was in steady highway cruising.

Perhaps it is, but not in New York City's version of city driving.

The Prius was clearly in its element in the low-speed, dart-and-weave grind of urban traffic. The egg-shaped sky-blue metallic car looked like it would be the vehicle of choice for the Easter Bunny, but its stubby nose was perfect for swinging around double-parked delivery vans. Parallel parking was an absolute breeze.

In terms of fuel mileage, though, the Prius's performance on my daily commute was surprising. It was good, but far from what I'd expected.

Tricks of the trade

One of the Prius's most important fuel-saving tools is a computer screen in the center of the dashboard.

When it's not displaying climate or stereo controls, it shows a continuous readout of the car's fuel-saving performance. I could choose either a simple bar graph or a dynamic display showing the moment-by-moment activity of the car's electric and gasoline powerplants, along with a readout of its fuel efficiency at every moment.

On a 20-mile weekend test drive, I was able to mix things up a bit -- a few stretches of highway with surface roads mixed in -- and the car averaged about 45 miles to the gallon. That was about what I'd expected. The EPA estimate for this car is 55 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. Since no car really achieves the EPA estimated mileage, 45 miles per gallon seemed about right.

What was odd was that its city-vs.-highway gas mileage performance was what one would expect with any car. The EPA estimate gives a higher mileage number, 60, in city driving and a lower one, 51, for highway driving.

On the highway, I frequently saw fuel mileage numbers in the 60s flash by. During my daily commute to work, which involved no highway driving at all and took me straight through the congested heart of mid-town Manhattan, I was averaging 30 miles to the gallon. By the standards of most cars, 30 mpg in city driving would be considered outstanding.

In this case, I wondered what I was doing wrong.

How it works

The Prius uses both a 76 horsepower gasoline engine and a 67 horsepower electric motor. Some of the power for the gasoline engine is used to charge the battery for the electric motor. (Toyota rates total horsepower output for the hybrid system at 110.) When the car is stopped, even for a moment, the gasoline engine shuts off altogether. It doesn't come back on until the car is rolling along again.

At very low speeds -- like in a traffic jam -- the car can putter along with just the electric motor. At higher speeds, the electric motor acts sort of like a turbocharger, providing a boost for a gasoline engine that, ordinarily, would be out of its league powering a vehicle of any real size.

The key to winning the fuel mileage game, I quickly figured out, was trying to keep only one powerplant at a time in operation as often as possible. It's not easy. Still, in my last cross-town drive, going as gently as I could without causing a road rage incident, the best I managed was an improvement to 35 mpg.

A Toyota spokesperson later theorized that the Prius might have gotten better mileage in genuine gridlock. My commute consisted more of high-speed dashes followed by long, still waits. Not the best fuel economy scenario for any car, including the Prius.

Inside the egg

Fuel economy aside, the Prius is a far better car than its emphasis on fuel economy might suggest. Certainly, no one will confuse it with a performance car, but the light weight Prius never felt like a laggard. Its tall profile and soft suspension give the car some serious wobbles in hard cornering or on worked-over pavement, though. Inside, the car is surprisingly roomy with space for four adults and their stuff.

The Prius's array of deliberate oddities is aimed squarely at the heart of a techno-geek like me. There is no reason the Prius couldn't start with the turn of a key like any other car. Instead, the driver shoves a small plastic box into a rectangular hole in the dashboard and presses a start button designed to resemble a computer's power button.

But it sure makes starting the car in the morning much more entertaining. So does putting the car in gear by flipping a large, stubby toggle near the steering wheel rather than pulling a more normal gear selector.

One thing the Prius really didn't deliver during my test drives was a crowd. I was ready and able to answer questions from curious strangers wherever I stopped. None came. As far as I could tell, no one even gave the car a second look. I was barely even able to detect the occasional first glance.

Perhaps Toyota's public relations campaign has worked so well that curiosity has simply vanished. If you're on one of those months-long waiting lists to buy a Prius, don't worry. The car is still pretty cool and it probably still will be when you get yours.

But it's not going to get you any dates.

Camry goes hybrid

2007-01-22T21:45:00.000+07:00

Toyota announces hybrid version of No. 1 U.S. car model and its first U.S.-built hybrid.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Toyota Motor Corp., the leader in sales of hybrid gas-electric vehicles, announced a hybrid version of its Camry sedan Tuesday, the best-selling U.S. car model.

Production of the Camry hybrid is slated to begin in late 2006 at the company's Georgetown, Ky., plant, making it the company's first U.S.-built hybrid.

"This is a proud day for the entire state of Kentucky," said Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher.

"Once the decision was reached to make a hybrid version of our best-selling vehicle -- the Camry -- the Georgetown plant was the natural choice for Toyota's first North American hybrid production," added Gary Convis, president of Kentucky plant. "Our team members' hard work and dedication over the last 20 years will ensure that the production of these cutting-edge vehicles in Kentucky will also be hugely successful."

The company already makes a hybrid sedan, the Prius, which had U.S. sales of 53,991 last year. By comparison, the Camry had U.S. sales of 965,091.

"The continued success of Prius has demonstrated consumers' growing demand for hybrid vehicles," said Jim Press, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales. "Hybrid production in the U.S. will allow us to be even more responsive to the desires of our customers."

Other automakers have hybrid versions of gasoline-only vehicles already in production or coming to production soon. Honda Motor Co. has hybrid versions of its Civic, a compact car, and the Accord, its mid-size sedan and the nation's No. 2 selling car model after the Camry.

Toyota just recently came out with its own hybrid versions of gas-only vehicles when it brought hybrid technology to two mid-size sport/utility vehicles for the first time. The hybrid Lexus RX 400h, the SUV for its luxury brand, went on sale in April, while a version of the lower-priced Toyota Highlander is set to go on sale in June.

But the Prius and the two SUVs are made in Japan.

Wheels: Toyota Highlander Hybrid

2007-01-15T21:03:00.000+07:00

Added power, efficiency and technological pizzazz give this SUV a needed dose of personality.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - In the end, I was won over by the plain, simple and earnest Toyota Highlander hybrid, even if it didn't seem like my type, at first.

The Highlander, even the regular non-hybrid kind, has just one major shortcoming: It's boring. On a global scale of excitement, the Toyota Highlander ranks up there with a nice glass of room-temperature tap water.

If you want to know what it's like to drive a Highlander, think of Velveeta, the processed cheese product from Kraft. Soft, bland and a little gooey, it's neither interesting nor objectionable.

Even so, the Highlander is very popular. Few SUVs are easier to lose in a parking lot. And it has some simple, practical benefits that make it easy to understand why that's so.

The addition of gas-electric hybrid technology to the Highlander actually spices things up a little. Besides the sheer novelty of it, the Highlander Hybrid has the same 3.3-liter V6 engine as the higher-end non-hybrid versions. So the two electric motors -- or one electric motor in front-wheel drive versions -- give the hybrid an extra boost of power in addition to saving gas.

Under hard acceleration, both the electric and gasoline powerplants spring to life and push hard. Total horsepower output comes to 268 in either two- or four-wheel drive versions. That's 38 more than you get in the regular gasoline-only Highlander. Also, the electric motors produce their full allotment of torque right from the start. That means a slightly gutsier take-off.

Not that the regular Highlander is underpowered. It's not fast, but it's certainly quick enough. You can merge without fear. But the hybrid's extra boost is noticeable and nice to have.

It does come at the cost of some wicked engine noise, though. The hybrid's continuously variable transmission, which shifts gear ratios continuously rather than stepping up gear-to-gear, keeps the gasoline engine in its hardest working -- and loudest -- power range full time until you let up on the gas. It's working those pistons hard and it sounds like it.

The hybrid's handling also felt a little better to me than the regular Highlander. Now, that could have been just because, after a few days, I was getting used to the way it felt. The Highlander does have "car-like" handling, but it's not like a very good car.

Or it could have been the extra 350 pounds of the hybrid system's motors and battery packs. The extra weight is under the Highlander's body, below the vehicle's center of gravity. That would add some extra firmness and stability, which would be just what the Highlander needs.

There is a plus to that boring, boxy shape, by the way. The Highlander makes efficient use of its space, offering as much room inside as seemingly larger vehicles.

It's easy to pack and unpack, easy to park and maneuver in traffic, and it offers a comfortable amount of space for five passengers. For all of those boring, practical reasons, the vehicle ended up growing on me after a few days.

On a 225 mile round trip from New York City to Hyde Park, New York -- home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Culinary Institute of America and, perhaps more importantly, the EveReady Diner -- we got about 28 miles per gallon. That's outstanding for a roomy V6 SUV.

According to government estimates, a four-wheel-drive Highlander Hybrid should get about 31 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 on the highway. (No, those numbers aren't backwards.) That compares to 18 and 24 miles per gallon for a four-wheel-drive non-hybrid version with the same engine. Real-world driving usually yields lower mileage than EPA estimates, so my result was surprising.

The route we took was fairly evenly divided between steady highway cruising and slower stretches through small town shopping districts. There were also more than a few pedal-to-the-metal starts as we pulled off the highway and back on again to go back and look at something we'd missed.

On the self-righteousness front, the Highlander Hybrid allowed us to creep through National Park lands without releasing any finch-gagging particulate matter. OK, it was the Vanderbilt Estate. Not exactly the Grand Tetons, but you get the idea.

With a starting price of about $33,600, the Highlander Hybrid costs about $6,000 more than a comparably equipped regular Highlander. (Comparably equipped, in this case, includes virtually useless third-row seats. You can't get the Hybrid without them. Their sole value is as a conveniently folding way to punish small children.)

That high price differential is a real shame and only some of that is due to the hybrid system itself. The rest is from extras that have no relation to the system. Unfortunately, it may keep a lot of people from experiencing the benefits of this technology.

If they're going to charge that kind of cash, they should put the word "hybrid" somewhere on the outside in letters higher than a quarter of an inch.

If I'm paying that much to help save the world, I want everybody to know it.

Toyota planning 10 more hybrids

2007-01-08T13:18:00.000+07:00

By the end of this decade, Toyota plans for 25 percent of U.S. sales to be hybrid vehicles.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Toyota Motor Corp. plans to introduce 10 more gasoline-electric hybrid models globally by early next decade in a push to boost total sales of hybrids to 1 million, a top Toyota U.S. executive said.

The world's second-biggest automaker is also aiming for hybrid vehicles to account for at least 25 percent of its U.S. sales in the same time period, Jim Press, Toyota's U.S. president and chief operating officer, told Reuters on the sidelines of an auto conference in this northern Michigan resort.

Meeting a global goal of 1 million hybrid vehicles would mean that Toyota would have to sell about 600,000 vehicles in the U.S. alone, Press said, according to a report from Automotive News, an industry newspaper.

"To achieve that goal, we will have to look at offering hybrid power systems in virtually all of our vehicles, including trucks," Press told Automotive News.

Owners of future hybrid vehicles might be able to choose between high gas mileage or more performance by pressing a button on the instrument panel, said Press, according to the Automotive News report.

Currently, some hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, are engineered to offer maximum fuel efficiency while others, like the Lexus 400h SUV, also from Toyota, offer increased performance at the cost of the best possible fuel economy.

Gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles use electric motors in addition to gasoline engines to power the car. Some of the power from the gasoline engine and from braking is used to charge batteries for the electric motor.

Toyota is currently working on hybrid-powered pick-up trucks, Press told Automotive News.

AUTOSHOW - Rivals Turn up Heat to Challenge Toyota Hybrid Push

2006-11-01T14:37:00.000+07:00

DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp. pushed the hybrid envelope further this week by unveiling two high-profile cars equipped with the powertrain at the annual Detroit auto show, but competitors responded by cranking up the volume to promote rival clean-engine technologies.

Japan's top auto maker has gained a reputation as a "green" company with its popular Prius and other gasoline-electric hybrids, and is keen to see the technology take off globally.

fter selling about 250,000 hybrid vehicles globally last year, Toyota is targeting sales of 400,000 units in 2006 with the addition of versions of the Lexus LS and Toyota Camry hybrids - the two brands' flagship sedans.

"It is clear today that hybrid technology has moved solidly into the mainstream especially among consumers who are environmentally aware, and want to make a difference for future generations," Don Esmond, senior vice president at Toyota Motor Sales USA., said at the Camry hybrid's launch at the North American International Auto Show here this week.

But rivals sought to tone down the hype, citing high costs to manufacturers and consumers and claiming "inflated truths" about vastly improved mileage. Hybrids twin a conventional combustion engine and an electric motor to save fuel.

"I hate selling cars at a loss," Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn told reporters, saying hybrids were not a profitable proposition.

Nissan will bring out its first hybrid with the Altima sedan later this year, but says it was only because average fleet fuel economy regulations in California require it.

Ghosn repeated that Japan's second-biggest auto maker will bring diesel passenger vehicles to the United States.

Even Honda Motor Co., which introduced the first hybrid car to the United States with the two-seater Insight in 1999, is not ready to endorse hybrids as the future mainstream for green cars just yet.

"We'll figure out over the next year whether hybrids are a cost-effective proposal for big-volume production," Chief Executive Takeo Fukui told Reuters recently. "By no means have we reached that conclusion yet."

Honda has said that zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles should be the ultimate goal for the industry since supply of its power source, hydrogen, is inexhaustible.

Fukui said in Detroit this week that Honda would aim to begin leasing a roomier, cheaper and more practical fuel-cell vehicle within the next three to four years.

Japan's third-ranked auto maker by volume also said it would offer diesel cars in the United States, following European brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen AG into the nascent segment.

DIESEL POWER

The most vocal challenge against gasoline-electric hybrids came from Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG, which zealously supported diesel engines. Diesels get 20 to 40 percent better fuel economy than gasoline vehicles and now power more than half of all cars sold in Europe.

Unveiling the Mercedes E320 BLUETEC diesel car to be launched this fall and which features what DaimlerChrysler touted as the "cleanest diesel in the world," CEO Dieter Zetsche said diesels offered an excellent solution to weaning the United States off of foreign oil.

"If we had a light duty vehicle population that was one-third diesels, that could save up to 1.4 million barrels of oil per day in the US - the amount the US currently imports from Saudi Arabia," Zetsche said, citing a study by the Environmental Protection Agency.

DaimlerChrysler said sales of its current E-Class diesel had been booming since August as more Americans take to the torque, performance and fuel economy that diesels can offer.

Indeed, hybrids have increasingly faced sobering publicity about the "myth" of real-life fuel economy. Many drivers have reported to be disillusioned about underperforming the advertised mileage on their hybrids, which are most effective in stop-and-go city driving but help little on highways.

But hybrids are certainly on all major auto makers' radar.

General Motors Corp. unveiled two hybrid models, the Saturn Vue Green Line car and the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, at the Detroit show, while crosstown rival Ford Motor Co. has pledged a 10-fold increase in hybrid output by 2010.

Research firm J.D. Power and Associates last week projected hybrid vehicles to make up 4.2 percent of the US light vehicle market by 2012, up from around 1.3 percent last year. Its latest forecast for diesel penetration was a growth to 7.5 percent in 2012 from 3 percent in 2004.

(Additional reporting by Michael Shields)

Story by Chang-Ran Kim, Asia auto correspondent

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

Toyota to boost domestic Prius production 50% by 2007

2006-09-26T11:54:00.000+07:00

Nagoya (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203) plans to increase domestic production of its Prius hybrid car by 50 per cent to about 300,000 vehicles in 2007. The automaker currently manufactures the popular model almost completely in Japan and exports the vehicles to 40 countries and regions.

Although it already has plans to boost annual output by 15 per cent to about 200,000 vehicles this year, production has not been able to keep up with the growth in demand.

Toyota aims to just about quadruple worldwide hybrid sales from the 2005 figure to 1 million vehicles in the early 2010s.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - Sept 22, 2006
published by Asia Pulse

Lexus challenges Toyota's hybrid hegemony

2006-02-24T00:49:00.000+07:00

By Jorn Madslien

BBC News Online business reporter at the Paris Motor Show

The Toyota Prius petrol and electric hybrid car which has become such a hit in recent months with the green-thinking Hollywood set is about to be given a run for its money.

The latest challenger is built in-house, though, by Toyota Motor's luxury car subsidiary Lexus.

On show at the Paris Motor Show, the Lexus RX400h Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) offers right thinking Californians the chance to be green, or at least relatively so, while at the same time driving a powerful car.

(Right Picture: An attractive mix, powerful yet kind to the environment)

The Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle has a 3.3 litre V6 petrol engine that delivers 286 bhp, as well as two electric motors - one in front, one in the back.

Toyota and Lexus vice president James Rosenstein insists the Lexus will travel 100 kilometres on 8 litres of petrol.

That might be good for a car this size, but it is hardly a green alternative to small cars.

Selling point

Nevertheless, the RX400h is expected to boost the Lexus brand, both in the US where it is already popular and in Europe where years of hard nosed marketing efforts have failed to boost market share.

"Hybrid will make a difference for Lexus," Mr Rosenstein insists. In the USA, the non-hybrid equivalent of the RX400h is called RX300. It is the most popular Lexus going.

And yet, US dealers predict that the new hybrid will make up half its SUV sales in America as soon as it becomes available for customers.

(Right Picture: Toyota executives show off the latest model with a new, cleaner diesel engine)

In Europe, Mr Rosenberg hopes the hybrid SUV will help make up for recent years' disappointing performance.

Lexus has been weak in Europe because the design has not been adapted to European tastes and because we have not had diesel," he said.

New designs with "a bit more emotion", along with hybrid and diesel engines - both due to hit the market next year, could well appeal to Europeans lumbered with much more expensive petrol than the Americans, Mr Rosenberg suggested.

"The hybrid Lexus is also an answer to those who complain that SUVs are gas guzzlers," he said.

Competition

Other car makers are increasingly getting ready to follow Toyota Motor's suit and launch competing hybrid vehicles of their own.

Ahead of the pack is Honda which has been developing hybrid technologies of their own, alongside Toyota's. Peugeot is also in on the act with its stop-and-go technology.

But other car makers have arrived late for the party and have decided to pay to get onto the fast track.

(Picture Right: Toyota's Prius hybrid vehicle was just the beginning)

"We've licensed the technology to Ford (which has used it to launch its Escape SUV), we have licensed our technology to Nissan, and there has been contact with other manufacturers" Mr Rosenstein said.

"This is just the beginning," Mr Rosenstein said, promising several new hybrid models from both Toyota and Lexus in the near future.

Hybrids help boost Toyota profits

2006-02-14T16:26:00.000+07:00

Continued demand for cars such as the Prius hybrid have helped Toyota to healthy quarterly profits.

Toyota said operating profit rose 14% in the October to December period, as a weaker yen boosted overseas earnings.

(Picture right: Toyota hopes to see worldwide Prius sales of one million a year by 2010)

The firm, Japan's biggest carmaker, is seeing strong demand for its hybrids, which use petrol and electric power.

Toyota, which this year may surpass General Motors as the world's biggest carmaker, recorded an operating profit of 482.21bn yen ($4.05bn; £2.3bn).

US roll-outs

Toyota hopes to see worldwide Prius sales of one million a year by 2010. Demand for hybrids looks set to increase in coming years as they address global environmental and energy supply problems.

Meanwhile, Toyota's cost-cutting has enabled it to embark on capital spending on new and bigger manufacturing plants across the globe.

New models such as the Camry and Lexus LS sedans are to be rolled out in the US market soon, as Toyota looks to build a record number of vehicles in 2006.

Net profit was up 34.1% to 397.57bn yen thanks to a rise in the value of Toyota's stake in the former UFJ Holdings, after the bank's merger to form the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Toyota makes hybrid car in China

2005-12-15T21:05:00.000+07:00

Toyota has begun assembling its Prius hybrid car in China and hopes to sell 3,000 units in the country next year.

The petrol and electricity powered vehicles are being made with its Chinese joint venture partner, FAW.

Hybrids use both petrol and electric motors to double their fuel efficiency and halve their emissions.

FAW is China's biggest carmaker, and already works with Toyota to build both sedans and SUVs. The Prius will be made in Changchun, north-eastern China.

The model will sell for between 288,000 and 302,000 yuan ($35,000-$37,000; £20,000-£21,000).

Emission regulations

China is the world's fastest growing car market, but also has five of the ten most polluted cities in the world.

Toyota vice-president Yoshimi Inaba said hybrid cars like the Prius could help China deal with its environmental and energy shortage problems.

"In addition to China's new automobile policy that encourages the use of hybrid vehicles, the introduction of emission regulations on par with those in Europe and the United States is also moving forward."

Earlier this year Volkswagen and General Motors announced plans to explore building hybrid vehicles with Chinese partner companies.

Toyota hopes to see worldwide Prius sales of one million a year by 2010.

Source: bbc.co.uk

2005 Toyota Prius Review

2005-12-03T21:40:00.000+07:00

The Toyota Prius is Toyota’s mid sized gas electric hybrid car and is a joy to drive. It relies on a combination of a gas engine, electric motor and battery pack to move it down the road. Prices start at $20,875 for the base model and go up to $25,940. The Prius demand has outpaced production, leaving some buyers waiting weeks or months for their chance to own a Prius. Toyota has increased production, and as most owners will tell you, even if you have to wait, the Prius is well worth it.

Technology

When driving the Prius it is hard to not be amazed by the Prius’ use of technology. Starting the Prius is not done by turning a key in a traditional ignition; instead it is initiated by pressing the round “Power” button on the dash. There is an interactive, touch sensitive, Multi-Information display screen mounted in the center console. The display has many modes and can show things like the energy flow between the powertrain components, fuel consumption, radio settings, climate control, or many of the Prius’ other functions. But the technology, like the Prius’ futuristic styling, can be seen positively or negatively depending on your point of view.

The Ride

Cargo/Hatchback Area of the 2005 Toyota Prius - With LuggageToyota Overall the Prius delivers a smooth ride and has an ample amount of passenger room. The 112.3 cubic ft of interior volume is very versatile. The rear liftback hatch and the 60/40 fold down rear seats make carrying larger items easy. Although the Prius can seat five adults, I would limit the back seat to only two adults if I were planning a long trip. The headroom up front is higher than the back due to the rear hatch’s sloping roofline. My 6 foot 3 inch friend had no problem up front, but his head just scraped the roofline in back.

Gas Mileage

In the city under stop and go traffic, I didn’t quite meet the EPA gas mileage estimate of 60 miles per gallon, but with a light foot I did reach a very healthy 58 miles per gallon. The Prius’ ability to run using only the electric motor certainly makes a positive effect on gas mileage when traffic speeds are slow. On the highway, the Prius was adequately powered. With a 0-60 time of about 10 seconds, I was able to merge and pass with absolutely no worries. There was some additional road noise due to the open rear cargo area, but it was still reasonable for a mid sized sedan. I met the EPA gas mileage estimate of 51 miles per gallon on the highway by keeping acceleration slow and easy and not exceeding the speed limit. I did not do any interstate driving or need to use the air conditioning. These factors would have likely reduced the gas mileage. In the real world I’ve seen Toyota Prius drivers getting an average of around 48 miles per gallon. In any case, it was nice to see what was possible when the Prius was driven conservatively under good road conditions.

The Prius Is Good For The Environment

The Toyota Prius is certainly a hybrid car that is good for the environment. It carries an AT-PZEV rating, which makes the Prius one the cleanest production cars on the road today when it comes to emissions. It is 90% cleaner than that of the average car. Combined with the Prius’ excellent gas mileage, it is a great choice if you want to promote environmentalism.

Toyota Prius Options

The Prius I drove was nicely appointed with safety features such as front and rear side curtain air bags, integrated fog lights, high intensity discharge headlamps, and Vehicle Stability Control. Other goodies included a JBL 6-disc in dash CD Changer, and hands free phone capability via Bluetooth technology. One of the favorite features, though, was the voice activated navigation system. The maps were extremely accurate and the voice activated commands were fun to try. Nothing beats saying “I’m hungry” and having a map of the nearest restaurants pop up on screen.

2005 Toyota Prius Summary

The Toyota Prius has continued to be a popular car since being named Motor Trend’s 2004 car of the year, and the 2005 Toyota Prius has continued that popularity. It‘s easy to see why. With its use of technology, environmentally friendly features, seating for five, and great gas mileage, the Toyota Prius will remain one of the top picks when it comes to hybrid cars.

Source: hybridcars.about.com