Toyota cancels all plans for diesel-powered Prius

The Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has canceled all plans of coming out with a diesel hybrid variant of the Prius in the near future. A spokesperson for the carmaker said that, although other brands are going toward the diesel hybrids at the present time, the idea is still quite far for Toyota.

Having set a high standard with the latest 1.8-liter gasoline hybrid Prius, Toyota sees plug-in technology as the future of a truly ecological product. Diesel is not such a big thing with Toyota even when it has an agreement with Isuzu two years ago to create a new aluminum block 1.6-liter diesel powerplant which could be utilized for a diesel hybrid Prius. Production of that powerplant is still three years away at the soonest. The ultimate issue according to a company spokesperson is cost. Because the mass marketing of diesel hybrids require cleaner exhausts that consequently requires development. A combination of clean emissions technology and hybrid system cost will result in a powertrain is just to expensive at this stage.
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_43LE - 6/18/2009 5:18:40 PM

+1 Boost

I see that Michael Taylor is back or just another person saying outrageous comments in order to make Toyota fans look stupid.

WorldofLuxury - 6/18/2009 5:30:22 PM

+2 Boost

lol Michael Taylor was this Lexus enthusiast that greatly embarrassed other Lexus enthusiasts on this website and everywhere else - myself included.

enthusiastx11 - 6/18/2009 5:35:34 PM

+1 Boost

theoptimisticpessimist - 6/18/2009 7:07:50 PM

-1 Boost

"Guys, I am not this Michael Taylor dude. The name is Mitch."

Wow, thats just what Michael Taylor would say.

MrBratwurst - 6/18/2009 7:12:52 PM

-1 Boost

— enthusiastx11:

| well, the plug-in idea is simply terrible. 75%+ of electricity
| in the US is produced by COAL-FIRED PLANTS.

Less then 50%: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sources_of_electricity_in_the_USA_2006.png

| these plants create hideous pollution

So do cars. But
1. - it is easier and much cheaper to control emissions of pollutants collectively in huge power plants than individually on each and every car
2. - power plants emit onto remote areas having very low population density while cars emit in cities and on busy roads where population density reaches sometimes even 7000 people per km2.
3. - electricity is generated from domestic resources, not imported oil
4. - coal fired power plants do not idle at night due to their thermal inertia, they still produce excess electricity which is wasted, charging at least some plug-ins will be done at no additional costs, it will just use wasted energy

Plug-ins are a wonderful idea.

SteedPub - 6/18/2009 8:22:13 PM

+1 Boost

New clean diesel technology does not pollute any more than a comparably sized gasoline engine. In the final math, they pollute less as they require less fuel to be burned per mile.

In a Hybrid, though the batteries create a larger carbon footprint and toxicitity dent in the earth than a Hummer H2, a diesel only makes the outcome that much more efficient.

800over - 6/19/2009 9:41:13 AM

-1 Boost

Steed you have no idea what you are talking about. That Hummer BS has been debunked for years. As for diesel....doesn't it take 25% more crude to make it? Wouldn't that eat up the advantage?

MSP6 - 6/19/2009 10:25:51 AM

+4 Boost

Saying that there's no future for Diesel-powered engines is like stating that the eaarth is flat.

Ridiculous.

mpls - 6/18/2009 7:11:01 PM

+2 Boost

To get the best out of a diesel, you need to do it like BMW, high compression twin turbo etc..all very complex but all that takes space. It's good by itself as shown by BMW 2 or 3 litre disels, adding stuff like batteries to make a it a hybrid makes no sense and negates everything. Petrol hybrid is the way to go, the future being plug-in or Hydrogen..

SteedPub - 6/18/2009 7:55:47 PM

0 Boost

They are passing up the concept now because it is too expensive. It is however superior.

tango - 6/19/2009 4:30:33 AM

+2 Boost

Toyota is full of shit. Am I the only one who recalls Toyota claiming that a plug-in hybrid wasn't doable at this time? Now that the Volt is set to go they are suddenly proclaiming it to be the future? At present they are losing more money per day than GM and so it should be. They have lost touch (if they ever really ha it to begin with). Toyota diesels aren't remarkable at all and while Isuzu makes good industrial diesels they are loud and crude at the best of times in personal applications. THAT is the problem. It has nothing to do with cost, it has everything to do with ability to make a diesel that can pass for being refined. Even though I think the Europeans leave more than a little to be desired when it comes to reliability, they have created diesels that are top notch for smoothness and cleanliness. Maybe Toyota should have dialogue with GM's subsidiary VM Motori and then maybe they can learn a thing or two.

800over - 6/19/2009 9:44:49 AM

+2 Boost

Hey Tango....plug in Prius is already in use. They've been leased out for testing. Thanks for coming out. Have you seen a Volt on the road yet? Didn't think so. Have you heard of the new Honda plug-in? Plug ins are already on the way in. Toyota didn't just decide that today. And how can you lose more money than a Bankrupt company? Oh wait....get the gov to feed you billions....great.

pennfootball - 6/19/2009 11:35:24 AM

+2 Boost

They had plans for a diesel? Were these also the plans to sell the car on planet Xenon?

enthusiastx11 - 6/19/2009 12:14:56 PM

+2 Boost

they may not make a diesel prius, but smartly, toyota as announced plans to develop diesels full force in other models.

Shogun - 6/20/2009 12:13:30 PM

+1 Boost

well, the plug-in idea is simply terrible. 75%+ of electricity in the US is produced by COAL-FIRED PLANTS. these plants create hideous pollution. so a plug-in just pushes the environmental damage out of sight.

— enthusiastx11

It's nothing wrong with the plug-in idea. It's wrong how you in the US produce electricity ! Begin to think about that insted how to produce in a more eco friendly way. Hybridcars is the first step from diesel and petrol cars. Then we have plug-in hybrids in the next step. And maybe hydrogen and more new energy to move our cars forward in the future. Diesel and petrol is not so good for the environment so we should go away from theese even if it takes some time. But the first step is with hybrids and then plug-in cars. And we can thanks Toyota for that to begin to produce hybrids.

Excuse my spelling. Shogun from Sweden.