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Toyota Prius Online Community with News, Forums, & Research
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This story is perhaps linked to this post; however, it seems to expand on it with swappable batteries.
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TEL AVIV - The head of an Israeli-backed electric car project estimated on Sunday that its partner, the Renault-Nissan alliance, would likely invest $500 million to $1 billion in the swappable-battery electric cars.
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The Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA), a British automotive design, development and certification consultancy, has done what many TreeHugger readers have been suggesting in the comments of many posts about plug-in hybrid cars: Removable battery packs that can be swapped for full batteries that have been charged from the grid.
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Thanks to this site. | | |
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"The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a $4.3 million award against Toyota Motor Corp. for using another company's patented technology in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, including the top-selling Prius, Bloomberg News reported today.
"Toyota also may have to pay Paice royalties for future vehicles it produces using the disputed technology. The appeals court told a trial judge to revisit his order that Toyota pay $25 for every Prius, Highlander and Lexus RX400h sold. The appellate panel refused to block sales of the infringing vehicles.
"The disputed technology involves a microprocessor that accepts torque information from both the internal combustion engine and electric motor."
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"I'm so sick of the price of gas I'm going to buy a hybrid!"
I can't tell you how often I've heard this. And I want to tell these people that they are on the wrong track. If they merely want to save money, dumping the old gas guzzler and buying a hybrid will take years to save them money. That's because it costs more for the privledge of saving gas. This is the so-called "hybrid premium."
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I don't get it ---> " I can't tell you how often I've heard this. And I want to tell these people that they are on the wrong track" vs. "I'm not saying don't buy a hybrid"
huh?
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Just ran across this short blurb on Honda's Global Small Hybrid which looks like it may be available early next year.
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Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Spring Cleaning Part 2: What's in store at Honda for the 2009 Model Year
Global Small Hybrid This car is on track for its global introduction in early calendar year 2009. . . a fairly recent story by Automotive News indicates that the car's styling will resemble that of the FCX Clarity, . . . . the new global hybrid model will feature a powertrain based heavily upon the Civic Hybrid's IMA system, but it will feature a newly designed electric motor and engine control unit, which will pare down the packaging size as well as reduce mass. Honda has also taken the decision to use Nickel Metal Hydrid (NiMH) batteries (as opposed to newer Li-Ion technology) . ... ...
Summary: Honda hopes to deliver the most affordable hybrid vehicle yet.
Watch For: Possible introduction of the concept in October at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. We expect the concept to make its US debut at the 2008 Los Angeles International Auto Show in late November.
Available: Early 2009
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Who saz Toyota not making money.
Even in this downturn economy, Toyota is making money.
What a fabulous company..Toyota moving forwards!
Toyota/Lexus/Scion Pressroom: Toyota Announces Year-End Financial Results
May 8, 2008
Toyota Announces Year-End Financial Results
Achieves Record Net Revenues, Operating Income and Net Income
(All consolidated financial information has been prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America)
Tokyo TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) today announced operating results for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 2008.
On a consolidated basis, net revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 totaled 26.29 trillion yen, an increase
of 9.8 percent compared to the last fiscal year. Operating income increased 1.4 percent to 2.27 trillion yen, and
income before income tax, minority interest and equity in earnings of affiliated companies was 2.44 trillion yen. Net
income increased 4.5 percent to 1.72 trillion yen. All of these figures marked record results.
Operating income increased by 31.7 billion yen to 2.27 trillion yen, due to positive contributions of 290.0 billion yen
from marketing efforts and 120.0 billion yen from cost reduction efforts, and negative factors including 48.1 billion yen
of valuation losses on interest rate swaps. Excluding this 48.1 billion yen, operating income on a non-USGAAP basis
increased substantially by 79.8 billion yen to 2.34 trillion yen. Equity in earnings of affiliated companies increased by
60.6 billion yen to 270.1 billion yen, due to strong results of joint venture companies in China.
Commenting on the results, TMC President Katsuaki Watanabe said, "For this fiscal year, we posted our highest ever
results in both revenue and profits. There are two key points for these results. First, our profit structure has become
more geographically balanced, with growing contribution from resource-rich countries and emerging countries. We
believe our growth strategy of utilizing every opportunity across the full product line-up and in all regions have shown
strong results. Second, net income has steadily increased due to the growth of operating profit from global operations
and equity in earnings of affiliated companies. Growth of equity in earnings has been particularly strong and has more
than doubled over the last four years, mainly due to the rapid growth of Chinese operations."
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Yes, the sensible, comparatively simple Saturn Vue Green Line is a hybrid, but a "mild" one. It does not get the astronomical fuel economy that Toyota Prius drivers crow about.
But those of us who don't much care for the Prius' driving characteristics might be willing to sacrifice mileage for some of the Vue Green Line's other attributes, such as interior room and luggage capacity. And the fact that the Green Line saves some gas well, that's gravy.
Actually, it saves quite a bit of gas, considering the relative absence of high-priced, high-tech hybrid components. The Vue Green Line is a partial hybrid, or "mild" or "single mode," as the manufacturers have taken to calling it, meaning that it can't move under electrical power alone, as the Prius can.
The base gas-powered, four-cylinder Vue, by comparison, is rated at 19 city, 26 highway, 22 overall. That Vue starts at $21,875, so given the test Green Line's out-the-door sticker of $24,795, and that includes a lot of equipment, plus its $650 tax credit, going Green Line won't cost you that much more green...
Motoring | 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line | An SUV that gets 28 mpg overall | Seattle Times Newspaper | | |
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Green Vehicles, a company based in San Jose, California, has recently revealed that it will begin selling two lithium-ion-powered electric vehicles early this summer. The three-wheeled TRIAC is a highway-capable electric car (or oversized covered trike, depending on how you look at it) that can reach speeds of 80 mph. There's also the BUCKSHOT, an electric all-purpose work truck designed for heavy-duty, durable use.
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