2009 Detroit Auto Show: Toyota Bringing Electric City Car

Very interesting, but it is only a concept car... vaporware from Toyota!!?

Come on Toyota, let's make it real. Don't fail me now.

And for an EV, where do they get, "40 miles per gallon?"

Gallons of electrons? That I'd like to see... sounds like cold fusion.

 

there is teaser pic ... thats front grille, right?

 

that would be kicking-butt

 

I'll take two, if they're small.

 

People say the Smart ForTwo is expensive at $12K, I can only image the good things the press will say about a $20K Toyota IQ.


Here is a link to another story: http://www.motorauthority.com/toyota-announces-battery-powered-ev-concept-for-detroit-auto-show.html

 

That would be sweet if it is $20k. You can get it with the next gen Prius (or Insight II) for about the same price as one Volt.

 

And then there are all those pesky buyers who vote with their wallet. I certainly hope the press is insanely super critical so that I can get one without it being way over MSRP.

 

well same people who say that it will be based on iQ and around 20k, also mention in the same sentence how iQ will be introduced at cheaper than Yaris price, which is actually false information, so lets take their info with grain of salt

 

If you are referring to my article from motorauthority.com the authors are talking about the US market not Europe. The iQ must cost less than the Yaris to be successful in the US market. Americans see value in size and will not pay more for a smaller car if the same company offers a larger car for less. The only exception is with sports cars.

I also think you are splitting hairs about pricing for iQ vs. Yaris. Yes, the Toyota UK website does show that one trim level of Yaris costs 300 pounds less than the base iQ. (On the road pricing including taxes) However, the Yaris doesn't have side airbags, stability control, air conditioning, or alloy wheels. All of these are standard features on the slightly more expensive iQ

The base iQ costs 7,451 pounds before taxes or $11,084 at current currency conversion rates. If Toyota brought the iQ to the US at the current UK price it would be almost $1,000 less than a 3-door Yaris. Considering that all cars sold in the US are priced below similar cars in Europe I wouldn't be surprised if the savings are even greater.

An ICE powered iQ priced at $11K would be the death of an EV iQ priced a $20K. The economics will kill sales for all but the most passionate EV enthusiasts. If Toyota is serious about selling an EV in the US it will need to be stand-alone model. Bring the iQ to the US only as an EV.

 

That is a picture of the Toyota iQ, a current production model sold in Japan and Europe. Toyota has given no information on what the EV concept will look like. It is pure speculation that EV will be based on the iQ.

 

$20K! For a tarted-up golf cart! Toyota should be able to do better than this! Let Honda have at it, bet they could come up with a competitive alternative at a lower price.

 

$12K? Try $18485. Where'd you get $12K for the Smart?

 

I could have bought a larger car in the Camry for less than a Prius and 1,000,000 Prius drivers did the same thing. Tell me again why the iQ wont sell.

 

pretty much everything you said is wrong... It does not matter what "should" be the price, iQ costs Toyota more than Yaris due to re-invention of some basic parts that are taken for granted.

iQ will cost the same as mid level Yaris - ie around 14k-15k...

In eastern europe, we delayed introduction of iQ because we think it would be too expensive at prices that we will get it at. Its great, but they wont lower the price of the car to the point where they wont make any money.. We already make minimal margins on small cars due to pricing issues as it is.