Toyota delays next-gen hybrids until 2011

until then, we'll just keep polluting the world with 150lb nickel cadmium batteries.

from wikipedia:

Environmental consequences of Cadmium

NiCd batteries contain cadmium, which is a toxic heavy metal and therefore requires special care during battery disposal. In the United States, part of the price of a NiCd battery is a fee for its proper disposal at the end of its service lifetime. In the European Union, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) bans the use of cadmium in electrical and electronic equipment products after July 2006, though NiCd batteries are not restricted.

Cadmium, being a heavy metal, can cause substantial pollution when landfilled or incinerated. Because of this, many countries now operate recycling programs to capture and reprocess old NiCd batteries.

you'd think toyota would be smart enough to have a disposal program in place. does anyone know if they do?

You fool, Toyota hybrids are using the completely recyclable Nickel Metal Hydride battery, not the poisonous NiCd battery.

pardon me, supra.

they are in fact nickel hydride which is less toxic than cadmium--but still toxic.

what about the horrible pollution that nickel smelting emits?

JUST ONE prominent nickel smelting operation is responsible for "1 percent of the entire global emission of sulfur dioxide." read on about the norilsk plant....
================

Environmental problems

Ore is smelted on site at Norilsk. The smelting is directly responsible for severe pollution, including acid rain and smog. By some estimates, 1 percent of the entire global emission of sulfur dioxide originates here. Heavy metal pollution in the area is so severe that the soil itself has platinum and palladium content which is feasible to mine. [1]

The pollution is also affecting Norway which since 1990 has offered financial support to clean up the operation, due to official Russian neglect and the company's lack of interest this has however not materialised.

"So much for the technology that Toyota says is the future of efficient motoring"

That editorializing was from the poster, not the original story. Typical Dieselspies ranting.

It is unfortunate that a technology which has only been on the road since 1997 still needs a couple more years before the next big leap. That doesnt mean that Toyota will sit on its ass for 4 years. Each new hybrid using the existing technology features some improvements, and undoubtedly will continue to do so. (more seemles transitions, econ mode, electric only, plug in next presumably.) And if they have to keep doing this on the Nickle batteries for safety's sake, so be it. How long has it taken diesel to become efficient and clean. Where are those Bluetec cars?

The hybrid cake is too big for Toyota to eat it alone.

Toyota is not testing fire-catching Sony type Lithium-cobalt batteries. Plus there are so many other battery companies are testing all kinds of Li-ion batteries, and some of them are claimed to have up to specific power of 3kW/kg and specific energy of 200+kWh/kg. The breakthroughs are coming soon.


Maybe Toyota wants to give its competitions some time to breath. ;)

why would anyone give competition 'time to breathe?' that's not the nature of competition.

toyota and everyone else is moving forward as fast as they possibly can....

I dont know why I respond......

Fuel cells by 2015? What world are you living in?

And Toyota is not going to heavily invest in diesels, just another fossil fuel that will run out. So all the diesel cars will end up in landfills because there will be no more fuel to run them. I dont know if people are noticing, but as gas prices slowly fall, diesel is rising, so that in CA it is about 20 cents more than regular gas right now. You start bringing all those Bluetecs and TDIs over, and diesel will be six bucks a gallon beofre you know it. Meanwhile hybrids will get more and more efficient, 70-80 mpg, plug-in capability, zero emissions. I think the choice is clear.

Hybrids don't have zero emissions.
I don't know where people get this misinformation...

And hybrids still use fossil fuels.

Go GM!

Smart decision Toyota! This is one case where he who hesitates is not lost. Hybrid development has a long way to go and I believe that the only viable hybrids are plug-in hybrids for strictly urban use. In the meantime, diesels will rule.