Should Toyota Place All Of Their Eggs In The Hybrid Basket?

Toyota's commitment to hybrid automobiles was on full display Thursday when it unveiled its most expensive gasoline-electric vehicle yet -- the 15 million yen ($124,000) luxury sedan Lexus LS.

Executives at Japan's No. 1 automaker are fully convinced that hybrid cars are the way of the future. And they're betting that growing consumer concern about the environment -- and higher gas prices -- will lure even wealthy buyers to the new model, which went on sale Thursday in Japan and will arrive later elsewhere.

Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto denied hybrids were "a transitional technology" that will be replaced by more advanced ecological technology in the future.

"As long as cars exist, the need for hybrid technology will remain," Takimoto said.


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SupraNeverBack - 5/17/2007 12:39:26 PM

+2 Boost

009, You have misunderstanding here. Hybrid is a independent technique. I know you meat Gasoline Hybrids. But the near future (from now to 20years) belongs to Gasoline Hybrids and then plug-in hybrids.
You dislike about hybrids will come to end very soon. ^0^

BTW, Toyota is also a leading player in Clean Diesel and Fuel Cell hybrid.

Agent009 - 5/17/2007 1:06:37 PM

+2 Boost

I understand fully. And I may be wrong the Hybrid may be here to stay. There are strong arguments pro and con. But most experts agree it is a transitional technology. So should you go full line , or think further ahead of the pack.

Toyota has typically been ahead of the curve in many areas, but my question primarily is are they resting or continuing to move forward and not telling us?

SupraNeverBack - 5/17/2007 1:35:18 PM

+1 Boost

Resting? You are "worrying" about the future too far. The hybrid is just in its infancy. Others better do it quick to catch up before it is too late.

quizz - 5/17/2007 1:37:32 PM

+5 Boost

Toyota reacts very quickly to a changing market; for now hybrid is the "thing", but make no bones about it, they are developing a better electric battery system so that one day it can be a fully electric car.

I'm surprised they dropped their diesel program, I thought they were working with Isuzu to create a diesel-hybrid architecture.

jon21 - 5/17/2007 1:39:34 PM

+2 Boost

Yes, Toyota please give me a BioDiesel Plugin Hybrid!

Agent009 - 5/17/2007 2:20:40 PM

+2 Boost

how about a hydrogen hybrid?

EL34 - 5/18/2007 12:47:27 AM

+1 Boost

And how about a nuclear hybrid?

S4cabriofoxone - 5/19/2007 10:46:35 PM

+1 Boost

Agent009, a hydrogen hybrid would dilute the hydrogen powertrain.

EnnNorak - 5/17/2007 2:17:26 PM

-2 Boost

Toyota, please give me a larger non-hybrid aluminum-bodied Prius with a supercharged in-line 6-cylinder diesel.

kpaxx - 5/17/2007 3:35:56 PM

0 Boost

Isn't that just an A8 diesel?

S4cabriofoxone - 5/19/2007 10:47:52 PM

+1 Boost

Supercharged diesel? What? That would be a whiny, wheezy, disgusting-sounding engine.

No, kpaxx, the A8 does not have supercharged diesel. It has a fabulous 4.2TDI turbodiesel V8, among other options.

ctsang - 5/17/2007 4:19:38 PM

0 Boost

Toyota resting? Give me a break!

S4cabriofoxone - 5/19/2007 10:48:24 PM

0 Boost

Nor can you say that about a hydrogen/gasoline. You're pushing it here.

furstt - 5/17/2007 9:14:30 PM

+2 Boost

I am re-stating what has been said in the other comments but it is worth repeating.

Toyota's hybrid technology can apply to any fuel source (e.g., gas, diesel, bio-diesel, hydrogen, etc.) Bottom-line - hybrids conserve the fuel source.

The transition from hybrids would occur if we ever get to the point where it makes sense to remove the fuel source and go full electric. In the end, this may be more a political vs. technological issue since GM proved a full-electric can work many years ago and technology has improved since then...

SupraNeverBack - 5/18/2007 12:09:42 AM

+1 Boost

Just as Toyota said, "as long as cars exist, the need for hybrid technology will remain.... hybrids are not “a transitional technology”"

XYZZ - 5/19/2007 4:37:29 AM

+1 Boost

imho, future fleets will be 80+% hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and EV.

gas and diesel engines have been around for 100 years plus, and are peaking in development. hybrids, only in general use for 10 years, is still climbing the development curve.

toyota is leading the charge up the curve. with their tons of loot, they will charge faster and harder than any other carmaker.

XYZZ - 5/19/2007 4:42:37 AM

+1 Boost

as battery development advances, even full electric cars will regain popularity.

after the movie, Who Killed the Electric Car?, the public will no longer tolerate attempts to kill EVs.

the range limitations can be VERY simply resolved: electric "fueling stations" will have cranes instead of pumps. lift out depleted battery packs. slip in a fully charged one. NO lengthy overnite recharging needed.

EnnNorak - 5/24/2007 5:00:26 PM

+1 Boost

S4cabriofoxone, it does not have to be a "whiny, wheezy, disgusting-sounding engine" Engine noise can be contolled in two ways that I know of: by encasing the engine with sufficient sound deadening, or by installing an electronic noise cancellation device that generates an "opposite" sound wave to cancel the offending noise. BTW, I once jammed a 6" layer of foam rubber between a 4-cylinder Datsun engine and the hood. The silencing was unbelievably successful and, contary to popular expectations, the car never caught fire.