Must read: Hot hybrid news from Japan
This market is really heating up
Dear 001,
As an analyst that covers fuel cells and FCVs I had an interesting conversation with a person who closely covers primarily Japanese automobile companies for a major US news source.
As you know, Honda and Toyota is taking hybrid electric vehicles quite seriously compared to the Big Three. It seems that the Japanese are only getting more bullish about hybrids. We should expect a few more hybrid-electric announcements over the next year from Honda. Honda will be announcing a hybrid-electric option for their next-generation minivan as well as its upcoming replacement for the RL. Expect both these models to end up at the premium and more powerful end for their respective model. This is especially true for the RL replacement, which will be marketed as a luxury car that has the fuel consumption of a V-6 while retaining the torque and acceleration of a V-8.
This is a similar strategy being adopted for Lexus’s upcoming RX SUV that will use hybridization to gain 50 horsepower over the standard model. If they can succeed in marketing hybridized models as premium vehicles, expect a barrage of HEVs from Japan. BTW, Toyota is supposedly doing an amazing job in cutting down the costs of its HEV drivetrain. For instance, their regenerative braking system in the new Prius is capable of drawing the same amount of current as the first generation Prius, at a cost savings of 50%. It will only be a matter of time before Toyota and Honda begin turning profits (recouping manufacturing and tooling costs) on HEVs. The Big 3 better hurry up, or else we might see them take another huge leap backwards.
Best regards,
Hybrids R Us
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