Your prediction for the future of the Prius?

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

What’s your prediction for the future of the Prius? (and automobiles in general)

We keep hearing that the Prius is an incremental advancement, but that we can’t economically build Hybrid cars domestically (whah whah whine), and fuel cell cars will be in the year 2020 or later. (Of course Toyota and Honda will be much earlier if the future is fuel cells.)

15 years out is too long of a time period to predict accurately.
For example:
This internet, as we know it today, is only about 10 years old, yet our way of life is already so thoroughly tied to it.

My prediction:
With the accelerated advancement of Super/Ultra Capacitors - future cars (the 2020 Prius SUC :wink will have a bank of super caps that can be nearly instantaneously recharged while driving. Drive down the road and run over a “recharge station” and ZAP - you are good for another 50 to 150 miles. No fuel tank, No ICE, no fuel cells, no battery pack. Just Ultra-Super-Duper-Caps and lots of easy to use “recharge stations.” The electrical infrastructure is basically in place today . . . except for the actual recharge stations. A much better scenario than terrorist target refineries and hauling hydrogen!

Of course future SUVs will be the ones getting 50 MPZ, and the Hummer H22s will get less than 24 MPZ.

What say you? Where will the Prius line be in 15 years?

[amped]

Patrick, you really shouldn't drink on weeknights.

Hey, I can't predict tomorrow, let alone 15 years out. I will repeat a quote from none other than Soichiro Toyoda that I read a few years ago (paraphrased): "In the future, cars will not contact the road, but float above the surface." That one had me thinking for about, oh, five years. :|

[efusco]

It'll probably involve this New Patent (not Toyota's)

And this recent battery design patent app with the following features:

New design features:

1) The new battery has gone back to a cylindrical design with an
outer metal jacket.

2) A single cylinder is made up of several cells interlocked in
series and in a relative ingenious way inside the metal cylinder,
significantly reducing internal resistances and offering much higher
voltages per cylinder.

3) All the cells in each cylinder are wound around a common center
shaft that is hollow so as to allow coolant to be pumped through the
center body of the battery assembly to provide cooling or heating as
necessary to the inside of the assembly (a problem for cylindrical
designs in the past).

4) Winding several cells for higher voltages onto a single hollow
electrode inside a single metal cylinder not only reduces internal
resistance but also cuts production costs and weight significantly.

5) The outside metallic cover or jacket protects against expansion
problems without implementing compression devices to protect the
cases against expansion like we have in our OEM prismatic designs.

6) The metal jacket also provides for better cooling via circulating
air so that overall the entire battery temperatures are more easily
controlled via air on the outside and coolant being pumped through
the inside hollow shaft.

The units could easily incorporate up to 14 perfectly matched cells
or more per cylinder providing nominal voltages of at least 16.8 VDC
per cylinder very easily. This means our 2004 Prius would only have
12 cylinders per HV Battery assembly and a whole lot less internal
resistance, much better performance and significantly less weight.


They've also patented technology that uses GPS to predict terrain elevation changes and feed that technology into the ECU to further fine tune the algorhythms for battery/hybrid function on the fly.

They've also filed applications to improve lubrication of the transaxle in electric only mod--probably anticipating prolonged/extended EV use.

Beyond that...who knows, I think the possibilities are huge.
--evan

[swepri]

... that later today I will pick up a red Prius. Dealer just called and confirmed delivery.

/Paj

[Victoriatus]

Originally posted by amped
\"In the future, cars will not contact the road, but float above the surface.\"

Maybe like the Moller Skycar. A mass-produced Skycar would be in $50000 range, and that could be very soon.

[Batavier]

Originally posted by efusco
(...)
They've also patented technology that uses GPS to predict terrain elevation changes and feed that technology into the ECU to further fine tune the algorhythms for battery/hybrid function on the fly.


--evan

I was just thinking about that when I drove down the highway earlier today: "Would it be possible to combine the nav system with the cruise control? And thus not accelerate on a rather short hill, instead of now wasting some fuel by trying to maintain speed?"

Guess I'm too late.

[swepri]

I think we will have to wait a few years before 3D info will be included in navigation systems. I know that Garmin have some topographic (?) maps for their units (local U.S. maps) but I have not seen any European maps yet.

/Paj

[bruceha_2000]

Originally posted by Victoriatus
Maybe like the Moller Skycar. A mass-produced Skycar would be in $50000 range, and that could be very soon.

Just what we need a few million people flying at 350 mph all willy nilly. :-) I suspect we would need freeways in the sky, and a WHOLE LOT MORE air traffic controllers!

[Frank Hudon]

My prediction for the Prius is in about 4 years or so it will be a dead end car. No more Prius. Toyota will have the hybrid technology in their entire line up and the Prius will be gone. I personally see it as a POC and it's served its function. Sorry and no flames please. My honest thought.

[bookrats]

Originally posted by Victoriatus
Maybe like the Moller Skycar. A mass-produced Skycar would be in $50000 range, and that could be very soon.

Oh, yes! All my childhood Gerry Anderson fantasies come true!

S.I.G.!! :mrgreen: