Featured Threads Archive

Source:


Bob Wilson

..how is this possible...

the gurus' of Prius Chat roasted Toyota daily for not jumping head over heels onto their EV bandwagon

..could..could the Prius Chat brain trust have possibly been wrong?... it's unthinkable...

...could Toyota have actually been more in tune with the current auto market than Prius Chat posters?........

..and.. if they were wrong about this, could they also be wrong on other topics?....

...

Announcements were made on the Toyota site and not the Pressroom site, yet.
2027 Toyota Prius | Toyota.com
2027 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid | Toyota.com

Both are expected out sometime in the Fall of this year.
Not too many differences that I can see outside Connected Services, Exterior and Interior

• New Ink color instead of the Midnight Black Metallic
• Remote Connect is now a 5-year trial subscription instead of the 1-year trial subscription on the 2026 models.
• Drive Connect is now a 3-month trial subscription on upper trims instead of the 1-year trial subscription on the 2026 models.
• Dual zone climate control is now standard across all trims.
• Starting price for Prius is now $28,755, a $205 increase over the 2026 Prius.
• Starting price for the 2027 Prius Plug-in Hybrid is now $33,980, also a $205 increase over the 2026 Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

https://www.autoblog.com/news/toyota-updated-the-prius-for-2026-without-changing-its-looks


Well, minor updates to me.

Running a business is never easy, and making money is never guaranteed. The closing of Hybrid Automotive is a good reminder that even good people and good ideas can still run into very tough challenges.

At the end of the day, the only way to survive long-term is to keep improving, keep innovating, and keep listening to customers. No product is ever really “finished.” There is always something we can make better, safer, more reliable, or more affordable.

And yes, there will always be copycats watching from the sidelines, ready to copy the moment something works. That is just part of the game. The best way forward is to keep building, keep improving, and keep fighting!

Jack

Kia prepares three PV5 models for BIMOS, including a 7-seater


I guess Kia swooped up the "Prime" nomenclature now that Toyota dropped it.

https://www.autoblog.com/carbuying/2015-toyota-prius-vs-2015-chevrolet-volt-which-one-is-more-reliable-theres-one-clear-winner

The new Slate pickup is now getting LFP batteries instead of nickel manganese cobalt batteries.

https://www.autoblog.com/features/hybrid-mpg-ratings-look-great-until-real-world-driving-gets-involved

Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) does its bi-annual EV real world test (summer and winter tests). Charging tests were also performed. On the home page (or first tab "Resultater"), scroll down past the bar graphs to "Ladertesten" or charging test. Use the drop-down menu to select the car. This is the charge curve (roughly 5-80%. Each car arrived with a slightly different starting SOC but it is listed).

In the "Testbiler" tab, each car has a tested "laderbid" 10-80% charge time listed compared to manufacturer's claim.

This is the summer test:

El Prix 2026 – verdens største elbiltest | NAF

Somebody wrote a summary on this:

NAF EV Range Test 2026: Full Results and Winner Revealed

Here's the route elevation profile:



So any vehicle that went past 350km on that test would've climbed...

Amid rising fuel and car prices in the USA, some are longing for those banned Chinese EVs.


Just a thought, if I were to buy a new Corolla, the cheapest I found within a few hundred miles from here is just over $23,000 which would be over $300 a month including a trade-in and about that same amount for the insurance just for the wife and me, plus at least $150 per month in fuel costs. Add in saving for tires and doing normal maintenance and suddenly I'm not that far from $1,000 per month. Or I can take off about $100 per month if I get a used one.

I doubt the production car will look as good as the concept pictures, but the HEV version’s fuel economy could be better than the Prius’s due to the new super-lean-burn engine. There will also be a BEV version.





https://www.autoblog.com/news/toyota-prius-faces-a-corolla-sized-problem

Hesitant to post about this speculative engine. In effect, the induction and exhaust are upgraded with modern engine control systems. More of a ‘brass board’ prototype, I wish them well:


A three cylinder version at 50hp (35 kW) would be very attractive. Then scaled to 100 and 150hp, a nice family:

• 3 cylinder - 120 degree power pulses for smoother operation and tolerable reliability if one cylinder fails.
• Separate oil crank case - avoids burning lubricant
• Forced induction - avoids butterfly losses and potentially handles altitude changes much better
• Direct fuel injection- critical for multi-fuel operation

I like the architecture but there is a lot of work before production becomes real.

Bob Wilson

TORONTO, May 1, 2026 – Electrified vehicles led April Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) sales reaching a record of 17,704 electrified units sold in April 2026, up 38.4% year over year (YOY).

These record electrified sales represented 67.8% of overall sales, including April sales records for the Toyota bZ and Lexus RZ battery electric vehicles (BEV), as well as the first full month of sales for the newly launched Toyota C-HR BEV.

The now fully electrified new generation 2026 RAV4 saw its Canadian-assembled Hybrid version reach a best month sales ever, up 24.6% YOY.

Camry Hybrid (up 28.4% YOY), Tacoma Hybrid (record, up 5.6% YOY), Crown Signia (record, up 84.7% YOY), 4Runner Hybrid (record, up 119.1% YOY), Sienna (record, up 65.2% YOY), Lexus NX 450h+ (record, up 85.4% YOY), Lexus RX Hybrid (record, up 34.7%) and Lexus LX Hybrid (record, up 66.7% YOY) are amongst the other electrified nameplates that achieved significant April sales.

These electrified sales contributed...

I have no pleasure in reporting this news but I was able to see it at the first Munro Associates, open house. This is the death rattle somewhere:

• Detroit MBAs - at the first open house, there were three distinct groups;
  • new business engineers and managers - they were taking furious notes because they’d never heard these lessons before
  • old school Detroit - there to recall past acquaintances with Sandy but more like patting the red headed stepson on the head.
  • Amen chorus - me
• China standing room only - the exact lectures Detroit treated as amusing were attended in Asia SOLD OUT and in China, shared with everyone who stood outside. They were taking notes furiously

I know it is popular to claim China stole our patents and intellectual property. But the most important was how to unleash engineering skills and manufacturing discipline that Sandy taught and Musk occasionally exhibits.

China is ascending...

Source: Daily Automotive News

My first image

Source:


Finally a video showing that axial flux motors serpentine the magnetic field between the external magnetic rotors … offset between the magnetic field conductive material pads that are not permanent magnets. Truly brilliant design.

Bob Wilson