Archive for the ‘Fuel’ Category
Toyota plans to go full-bore with third-generation Prius.
When someone tosses around the word “hybrid”, one vehicle typically first comes to mind: the Toyota Prius. The first generation model was introduced in ‘00 as a ’01 model while the second generation model came out in ’03 as an ’04 model.
The original Prius got Americans talking about hybrid vehicles, but it was the second generation model that really set things in motion for Toyota and its aim to equip the bulk of its lineup with hybrid technology. The second generation Prius — classified as a mid-size sedan — manages to achieve EPA ratings of 48 MPG/45 MPG city/highway thanks to its 1.5-liter gasoline engine and its hybrid-electric system.
Toyota is looking to boost the appeal and size of the third generation Prius which is due to be unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle will catch the disease that seems to afflict every new vehicle redesign these days: further increases in exterior dimensions. According to AutoObserver, the next Prius will gain roughly four inches in length and an inch in width.
The larger Prius will also be powered by a new 1.8 liter gasoline engine. Power will increase from 75 HP today to around 100 HP. This will push the combined gasoline engine/Hybrid Synergy Drive combination to 160 HP. The increased displacement should allow the third generation Prius to accelerate faster and should squash any performance complaints leveled against the current model.
As stated in previous DailyTech articles, the third generation Prius will continue using nickel-metal hydride batteries for its initial run. Toyota will switch over to more efficient lithium-ion batteries as soon as performance, safety, and production concerns are ironed out. The use of lithium-ion batteries should also allow for better packing efficiencies and a longer driving range when operating in electric-only mode.
With an average national fuel cost currently hovering around three bucks for a gallon of regular, fuel economy matters.
Posted on: March 25, 2008
- In: American Idol | Chevy | Ford | Fuel | gas | GM | SUV
- Leave a Comment
Over the past decade, the driveways of mainstream America filled with SUVs whose fuel-swilling was, at the time, not a concern.
Fuel costs almost doubled from 1996 to 2006 and grew another 20 percent in the past year. The average U.S. household income, meanwhile, rose only 35.8 percent in the same 10-year period.
The associated shift in vehicle sales is telling.
In 2007, sales of Chevy‘s Tahoe full-size SUV fell by 9.4 percent from 2006, while retail sales for the unlovable but frugal Chevrolet Aveo leaped by 82 percent.
GM‘s John McDonald wrote this off as these vehicles’ being “deferrable purchases,” implying that land barges hold some kind of inherent allure and that Americans would prefer to drive dump trucks if gas were free. This is, of course, entirely possible.
But gas is not free, and we don’t drive dump trucks, and as car buyers search for better fuel economy, they increasingly don’t want to drive trucks of any kind. R&D dollars are focused on unibody crossovers that ad campaigns tout as more fuel efficient than the trucks they replace, with even Ford’s Explorer headed for a frame-free future.
It’s not just big trucks that get lousy fuel economy, either.
The culprits of poor fuel economy are many, but common underlying causes include portly curb weights, older drivetrains, and the conscious exclusion of fuel-saving technologies to keep production and purchase prices down.
Before you spend your money on a new car, make sure you pay attention to the equipment list, because with the wrong engine or transmission choice, heinous fuel economy is sometimes just a checkbox away.
Valleywag - valleywag.wordpress.com 
Recent Comments