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Toyota Prius Online Community with News, Forums, & Research
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By Danny at 01/06/2009 - 6:15pm
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We're less than a week away from the big reveal of the 2010 Prius, and I can confirm some rumors that have been going around about Toyota producing 2 different engines for the Prius depending on what part of the world you live in.
The information I have received shows that the US (& Canada?) will be receiving a Prius with a 1.8 liter engine, bumping up the HP to 100 for the gas engine and 160 overall including the electric motor. However, Europe (and perhaps the rest of the world) will be receiving a toned-down version of the Prius, keeping the engine size at 1.5 liters and bumping the current horsepower from 110 to probably around 125.
Hopefully next week we'll hear some hard numbers on how the 2 engines will compare in MPGs.
So, how many more MPG will the EU Prius have to get for you to look into importing one?
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By Danny at 01/06/2009 - 5:06pm
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I can finally reveal a bit of information I've been sitting on for a little while...
Toyota will be streaming LIVE the reveal of the 2010 Toyota Prius from Detroit on January 12th at 11:30am EST. You can count on PriusChat for up-to-the-minute news and information on the 2010 Prius as we'll be in Detroit for the big event.
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/default.aspx | | |
By Arroyo at 01/06/2009 - 3:40pm
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Looks like those gotcha journalists at Car and Driver magazine are at it again. 
Save the Earth: Drive a Ferrari - Feature
Hows this for a convenient truth? Priuses spew out 78 times as much CO2 as Ferraris do.
BY STEVE SILER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DEWHURST, RICHARD PRINCE, RICH CHENET, AND THE MANUFACTURER , ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK HOEY
December 2008
Amid the huffing and puffing on Capitol Hill and elsewhere about jacking up the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) for new vehicles to 35 mpg by 2020 (or up to 50 mpg if you happen to live in California) while reducing tailpipe emissions to the level of an ant fart, it seems the world has overlooked this surprising statistic: Toyota Priuses are 78 times more toxic to the environment than Ferraris. Furthermore, they consume 78 times the amount of gasoline.
The Math
Thats right. Although were sure to be called out on this by our more persnickety readers, the math breaks down thus:
Since the beginning of the 2004 model year, when the current Prius debuted, Ferrari has sold roughly 7900 cars in North America. Annual mileage for the average Ferrari is tough to estimate, as some are destined to remain zero-mile collectors items while others are daily drivers, but according to a Ferrari spokesman, Ferraris sold in North America get driven right around 5000 miles per year for V-12 models, less with the V-8s. Assuming, then, that the average Ferrari is driven 4500 miles per year, the total fleet mileage for this fresh herd of prancing horses is 35,550,000 miles per year (all too few of them with our hands on the reins).
The average Ferrari CO2 emissions level hovers somewhere near 400 g/km, or 644 g/mile, according to Ferrari. Over the 35 million or so miles that the fleet of North American Ferraris will travel in the next year, they will be responsible for approximately 23 million kg of CO2. Fuel consumption, at an average of about 14 mpg combined for the Ferrari fleet, will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 million gallons of gas. Sound like a lot?
Look at how the Prius is pillaging Mother Earth. Since the 2004 model year, when Toyota introduced the current-generation Prius (and through November 2008), Toyota delivered 609,625 units. Toyota claims the average Prius is driven 15,000 miles per year, for a total fleet mileage of 9,144,375,000 miles annually. According to Toyota, the Prius coughs up a comparatively dainty 118 g/km, or 190 g/mile, of CO2, but with all those rolling doorstops on the road, that results in an atmosphere-choking 1.7 billion kg per annum, or roughly 78 times as much as the Ferrari set. And all the gas consumed over those nine billionor so miles, even at a combined 46 mpg, still robs the earth of about 200 million gallons of gas, also 78 times as much as is consumed by Ferraris. Pigs.
Toyota, for its part, was glib when confronted with the facts. A Toyota spokesman, who declined to be named, said, Ferraris are green? I thought they were all red.
Just Kidding, Sort Of
Okay, were totally not serious. Suggesting that, between a Ferrari and a Prius, the premium-swilling prancing horse would be the most environmentally responsible option would be journalistically irresponsible, despite the 1.7 billion kilograms of CO2 that todays Priuses will pump into the atmosphere over the next year, the 200 million gallons of gas they will consume, and the innumerable quantities of raw materials required to build them and their bespoke metal-heavy hybrid battery packs. Believe it or not, the Prius hardly makes a dent in the environmental picture while meeting the needs of far more commuters at far less expense to them as well as the earth on a per-mile basis than a Ferrari. Indeed, if every Prius driver switched into a Ferrari and drove it 15,000 miles per year, the overall picture would be far less greenbut a lot more red.
We appreciate Toyotas clear commitment to making the Prius the incredibly green vehicle it is, to say nothing of how much greener the all-new 2010 Prius will be when it launches in January at Detroits 2009 North American International Auto Show. But to us, these facts underscore that its not the cars themselves that are doing the damage, but the drivers. If we all drove less, it might matter less what we drive than how and how often. If we were all really smart about when we drive, we could save the world by driving Ferraris.
Hey, Environmentalists: Instead of Legislating the Prancing Horse into Extinction, Try Walking
We hope this fact is not lost on our lawmakers as they further their green-car agendas, the results of which could result in a de facto ban of exotics and super-luxury cars in many states, or at least exorbitant fines being slapped on them. Certainly, buyers of these cars are accustomed to exorbitant fines already (six-to-seven-figure MSRPs and gas-guzzler taxes). But the added cost might be just enough of a deterrent to keep some customers awayparticularly with the economy in the shape its inand that could prompt Ferrari, Lamborghini, and other high-end makes out of the U.S. altogether.
If theres one caveat, its that these states are not alone. European Union lawmakers recently approved an aggressive plan of their own to reduce CO2 emissions, and high-end carmakers are already bracing to deal with that. In any case, we hope the folks in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and the EU keep things in perspective as they enact legislation that could quite possibly erase the most colorful and beautiful cars in the world from the automotive landscape.
Save the Earth: Drive a Ferrari - Feature/Features/Classic Cars/High Performance/Hot Lists/Reviews/Car and Driver - Car And Driver | | |
By spwolf at 01/06/2009 - 12:59pm
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We all knew that Fusion was going to win comparos from the moment that EPA mpg's were shown... Here is the article:
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid vs. Camry Hybrid, Altima Hybrid, and Malibu Hybrid - Sedans/Comparison Test/Reviews/Car and Driver - Car And Driver
They loved TCH too, liked Fusion better since it is "sportier".
Not all is great though - i thought that Fusions numbers will be significantly better than this - it had overall mileage of 34mpg. It also lost to Camry on highway mpg, and is slower than Camry in acceleration.
2010 Fusion - 41/36 mpg - C&D observed 34.0 mpg???
2009 Camry - 33/34 mpg - C&D observed 31.7 mpg??? Altima had 32 MPG?
Article does not list numbers anywhere properly, you just need to find them in the text (some of them)... It says Camry was best in highway mileage, while Fusion was better in city and two lane test. Also Fusion was more expensive than TCH.
It is very strange that article does not have numbers shown properly... I will try to find them online somewhere, if they appeared in print edition.
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In more gloomy news for the auto industry, Forbes is reporting that Toyota will shut Japanese plants for 3 days in January, 6 days in February, and 5 days in March. Quote: |
If no one's buying, don't make 'em. After the release of dismal December U.S. auto sales figures, Toyota Motor said it will idle its factories in Japan for 11 days in February and March. Though the company has not yet issued a 2009 outlook, the move is a clear signal that the leading Japanese automaker doesn't believe the beginning of a new year will spell the end to the rough ride for global automakers.
| Toyota Hits The Brakes - Forbes.com
It's also discouraging that the 2010 Prius, to be revealed in a week, won't be built in Mississippi for now. Considering the years-long design and production cycle, I hope this is just a small bump in the road for HSD.
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Well, the wait is almost over. We hope you enjoyed the Sneak Peek series as much as we enjoyed your reaction to them.
Here's one more until we see you in Detroit. Too bad it looks like cloudy weather next weekend...
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The switch from gasoline to electric is seamless, even though it happens a great deal (the system has been optimized for the maximum number of gasoline engine shut-offs, which improves fuel economy). The redesigned Fusion has a great deal of sound-deadening, and its so quiet that, combined with the seamless operation, Id be willing to bet that if a driver was placed in it with no indication of its hybrid status, it would take him a while to realize it. Steering is responsive, with none of the vagueness that can sometimes plague hybrids, and it feels firmly planted and confident on the highway. If youre not worrying about how many leaves are growing in your gauge, the cars very peppy, and theres enough power to get you around traffic on the highway.
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Removed per DMCA request from Toyota.
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By Rybold at 01/02/2009 - 8:36pm
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Automobile magazine arrived in my mailbox today, and there's an article in it that says Porsche will be offering it's hybrid powertrain in the new Panamera also. The hybrid powertrain will make it's first appearance in the Cayenne in 2009. Online version of article: 2010 Porsche Panamera - Latest News, Features, and Reviews - Automobile Magazine
I'm waiting to see this hybrid system find it's way over to Audi and Volkswagen.
In another article in the print magazine, BMW is offering electric versions of the MINI to 500 people that apply on their website. If you want one, you better hurry up and submit your request at BMW's website. The initial 500 is a test/beta version. The vehicle is lease only. (p.32, Automobile, Feb.2009)
An earlier thread on PriusChat about Porsche hybrids: http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hy...t-hybrids.html
Update! Here's the craziest part of this whole thing ... I just found an article from ~exactly a year ago, claiming the same thing. Odd. http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hy...id-gt-car.html | | |
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