Toyota Will Offer a Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle by 2010

[RedEarth]

Source: NYT

The chief executive of the Toyota Motor Corporation said Monday that he is pushing his company’s engineers to develop a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle with a lithium-ion battery before 2010, raising the stakes in a race with General Motors. The comments by Katsuaki Watanabe came at a briefing here on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show, which opened to the press on Sunday.

Mr. Watanabe said he welcomed a competition with G.M., which plans to introduce its own lithium-ion hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt, around 2010. He said the contest would help reduce the “negative aspects” of automobiles, and ultimately help the environment.

“To compete against each other” in such a battle “is something to be congratulated,” Mr. Watanabe said through an interpreter. “We don’t want to be the loser in that competition, of course.”

On Sunday night, Toyota, the world’s largest producer of hybrid-electric vehicles, announced it would produce a plug-in hybrid vehicle equipped with a lithium-ion battery by 2010, for sale first to big commercial customers like corporations and government fleets.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/business/14cnd-plug.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[KansDem]

1. This morning, the BBC ran an interview with Alan Mulally, Ford's new CEO

He was previously with Boeing.

He's very much impressed with the Toyota business model, and said he wanted Ford to "Out-toyota Toyota."

He'd better hurry up...

[L0oniX]

2. Unless you can charge the car with solar cells, you will still be using gas or oil or coal.

[Curtis]

3. Not true

100% of the electricity PG&E provides to my mountain community is hydroelectric

[L0oniX]

4. The majority of Americans wouldn't have access to hydro power.

Do you want us all to move to your area?

[physioex]

8. Huh....

People are always looking for a one step solution to replacing fossil fuels and unfortunately there isn't one, rather many varied alternatives. These renwable alternatives include solar, wind, ocean, and geothermal. It all depends on the area you live.

[Auggie]

5. In your instance hydro works. But it makes up a small part of PG&Es power grid.

[physioex]

7. Maybe, Maybe not......

Here in Seattle Puget Sound Energy offers customers a chance to purchase wind generated power. It does cost a little more than the traditional power, but I am happy to do my part.

[Mithreal]

10. Always need to keep real costs in mind

Wind, solar, tidal, dams do not generate constant streams of air pollution, radioactive waste, mideast unrest, bad foreign policy, and death. I am sure we know that, just figured whenever we talk about costs we need to consider the total costs including subsidies, health, environment, life. When there is some sort of balance between renewables and exhaustibles then we can make nice with oil and gas.

[kestrel91316]

9. A large (and growing) percentage of the power LA DWP provides

is renewables - hydro, wind, and solar.

A pluggable hybrid has the potential to be powered ENTIRELY by renewables. Backyard solar panels with battery bank for recharging at home is a case in point.

Lack of ability to think outside the box is a sad thing.......

[caraher]

13. You'll still be using a lot less fossil fuel than you would with a conventional car

You get the fuel economy benefits of the hybrid, plus even with "dirty" electricity the conversion efficiency from fossil fuel to electricity to kinetic energy of your car is better than using fossil fuel directly in an internal combustion engine.

You're right that, in the long run, we need to abandon these dead-end technologies. But the plug-in hybrid is the best near-term option with proven technology given that the US is not going to give up the car culture overnight.

[Javaman]

6. didn't they already announce this like 2 years ago? nt

[Mithreal]

11. Why not ELIMINATE the “negative aspects” of automobiles

I recommend seeing "Who killed the electric car?"

[parkerll]

12. But by 2010

no one will be able to afford a new car.