[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Gerben', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'I')'ll bet there's money to be made buying Priuses in America and shipping them to Europe.

[Graeme]

Toyota Releases “Sustainability Report 2008”, Looks to “Liquid Peak”

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A') recent presentation by Toyota’s Bill Reinert, who coordinates research, development and marketing activities related to alternative-fueled vehicles and emerging technologies for Toyota Motor Sales USA, brought those concerns into focus. At July’s Meeting of the Minds conference on sustainable cities in Portland, for which Toyota was the lead sponsor, Reinert stated that according to Toyota’s research, a nexus of energy demands and resource depletion could well create a “liquid peak” within a decade, even if all available liquid fuels were to be produced at maximum global capacity without concern for environmental degradation.

In addition to its research on hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel-cell hybrids, Toyota is collaborating with Nippon Oil on biohydrorefined diesel oil (BHD) (earlier post), and is researching biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuels. The company “hopes to begin production” of cellulosic ethanol as soon as possible.

[TheDude]

Bill Reinert's one of the designers of the Prius, and what you might call a "peak oil guy" - sort of the James Hansen of the auto industry. Good that he's still sounding the alarm.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '`')`This is what the end of the age of oil means,'' says Reinert, 60, who plans the vehicles Toyota will make in a quarter century as national manager for advanced technology at the U.S. sales unit in Torrance, California. ``The car-based culture, the business-as-usual of building cars and trucks, is going to change dramatically.''

[mos6507]

If that's the case, they shouldn't be dragging their heels so much on EVs. A prius with a plugin range of 9 miles or some such garbage? WTF?

[Spanktron9]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', 'I')f that's the case, they shouldn't be dragging their heels so much on EVs. A prius with a plugin range of 9 miles or some such garbage? WTF?

[Novus]

Toyota Reports first loss in 70 years
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Toyota projects first loss in 70 years Monday Dec 22, 7:12 pm ET
By Yuri Kageyama and Dan Strumpf, AP Business Writers
Toyota projects first loss in 70 years, bowing to global slowdown
NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Toyota has hit a speedbump. The Japanese auto giant forecast its first operating loss in 70 years on Monday, more fallout from the severe slump in vehicle sales that has nearly claimed two Detroit automakers and raised questions over when the U.S. market, Toyota's largest, will hit bottom.

Despite the setback, the automaker is still poised to pull ahead of its main U.S. rival, General Motors Corp., to become the No. 1 world carmaker in 2008, industry watchers said. Toyota reported it sold 7.05 million cars worldwide during the first nine months of the year, compared with 6.66 million for GM for the same period.

[Fishman]

No way in hades a bailout of the US manufactures will work. Didn't Toyota close the US Prius plant?

[Novus]

Toyota has halted all expansion and hiring. No plant closings or permanent layoffs. Not yet at least but it will come.

[Ferretlover]

Toyota plans 11-day halt
Sharp falls in sales force carmaker to suspend production in Japan
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')OKYO: Toyota said yesterday it will idle its plants in Japan for 11 days in February and March in an unprecedented move for a car giant that just a few months ago seemed unable to keep up with global demand for its fuel-efficient vehicles.
Now, faced with a relentless slide in sales, especially in the United States, its biggest market, Toyota will suspend production at all 12 of its directly operated domestic plants.
The stoppages come on top of a three-day shutdown this month at these plants that Toyota had already announced.
Even strong players like Toyota have failed to escape the fate of empty showrooms as consumers tighten their belts and banks tighten lending. That, coupled with a stronger Japanese yen, which reduces the yen value of overseas profits, forced Toyota last month to forecast its first annual loss in 70 years. …

[yesplease]

Toyota seems to be PO aware.

Link.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '�')��Last summer’s four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly. It was a brief glimpse of our future,” said Miller. “We must address the inevitability of peak oil by developing vehicles powered by alternatives to liquid-oil fuel, as well as new concepts, like the iQ, that are lighter in weight and smaller in size. This kind of vehicle, electrified or not, is where our industry must focus its creativity.”

[misterno]

Ever wonder why Toyota never reveals the recycling time for batteries? They do not want you to know and it is around 5 years depending on usage. But for plug in hybrid Toyota used for daily drive, batteries do not last more than 5 years. How much doe sit cost? No one knows.

[yesplease]

The battery warranty is for eight years at least. How can the batteries not last longer than five years if Toyota is offering eight year warranties on 'em? They'd be losing money hand over fist.

[misterno]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', 'T')he battery warranty is for eight years at least. How can the batteries not last longer than five years if Toyota is offering eight year warranties on 'em? They'd be losing money hand over fist.

[yesplease]

I'm guessing it's for the same reason the cost of any replacement part isn't mentioned, it's just not what they do. A buyer can call up Toyota and ask them the price of any part they're interested in, including the battery pack. There's also a 10 year warranty on it in some states FWIW. As for whether it's worthwhile or not financially, the best bet is to compare the decrease in brake servicing (regenerative braking soaks up a bunch of the energy usually spent wearing down the brake pads/rotors) and decrease in fuel costs to the cost of pack replacement every 10 years or whatever it is and higher purchase price. For most people it's cheaper or the same cost to get the Prius in the long run, even w/ lower gas prices. Otoh, if someone doesn't mind going w/ a stripper (manual trans, no A/C) Corolla and they have lost of highway driving (no braking to speak of), then that would be the cheaper option. It really depends on what kinda driving someone is looking at and what bells and whistles they want in a vehicle.

[TonyPrep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', 'T')he battery warranty is for eight years at least. How can the batteries not last longer than five years if Toyota is offering eight year warranties on 'em? They'd be losing money hand over fist.

[yesplease]

8 years/100k miles in some states and 10 years/150k miles in others. So far the battery has demonstrably lasted to ~220/310k miles under fairly harsh conditions, so I'm guessing it would probably last to at least ~200k miles during normal use.

[TonyPrep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', '8') years/100k miles in some states and 10 years/150k miles in others. So far the battery has demonstrably lasted to ~220/310k miles under fairly harsh conditions, so I'm guessing it would probably last to at least ~200k miles during normal use.

[yesplease]

Here's a link on the DTCs associated w/ battery performance/monitoring. More or less the warranty seems to cover cell Voltage under load. If the voltage drops enough the ECM will set off a DTC, at which time the driver can take it in for servicing. I don't know if there are any other onboard diagnostic criteria associated w/ different DTCs for the pack, so you may want to search for more info on the subject.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', '[')url=http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/Hybrid15.pdf]Here's a link[/url] on the DTCs associated w/ battery performance/monitoring. More or less the warranty seems to cover cell Voltage under load. If the voltage drops enough the ECM will set off a DTC, at which time the driver can take it in for servicing. I don't know if there are any other onboard diagnostic criteria associated w/ different DTCs for the pack, so you may want to search for more info on the subject.

[angrybill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'S')omething I have always wondered about, if you disconnect the hybrid battery from the circuit completely, as if the battery had a short, how well does the Prius drive? It is aerodynamic and the gasoline engine is smallish so it should be in the same range as say a Camry, but I don't know of any test data showing one way or the other. Anyone know?