Toyota created quite a buzz on Wednesday when it announced that it will debut three new hybrids at January’s Detroit Auto Show — including a plug-in lithium-ion powered hybrid for 2010 — but Toyota’s top technology expert warns that the general public shouldn’t set expectations too high for the new technology.
While plug-in technology does promise to return increased fuel mileage, Toyota’s Bill Reinert warns that people should temper their expectations. The ability to plug in will net a greater all-electric range, but due to adverse, real world driving conditions — such as cold weather and sudden acceleration — will cause mileage to fluctuate.
“When we see the (claims of) 100 mile-per-gallon stuff, not everybody’s going to get 100 miles per gallon,” Reinert told Automotive News.
Plug-in hybrids should have the capability to travel 40 miles on battery power alone, which would average out to about 100 mpg. In addition to Toyota’s plug-in hybrid, General Motors plans to have two models on the market by 2010 — the Chevrolet Volt and Saturn Vue Plug-In Hybrid.



06/12, 10:59 AM
posted by:
DANNYACE
get your AAA cards out. i see alot of ****ing Tow In’s for
dumb ****ing ppl ( i thought i could make it)With any new
thing comes really dumb ****ing people that **** it up
(WARNING DO NOT DRIVE ON LOW VOLTAGE) Dealership ppl
get ready to drink on lunch on this ****!!!!
I cant wait to see all the Bull**** claims.
” IT said on the gauge it was ok…… No your just
****ing stupid.
(can u tell i work at a gm dealership)
DA
haaaa first!!
06/12, 11:07 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
Toyota is just pissy because GM has a lead over them on the technology. Toyota always becomes a naysayer whenever they are behind on something. One of the many reasons they never got to the moon, and never will.
06/12, 11:14 AM
posted by:
xyunya
GM was on the moon?
06/12, 11:15 AM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
So now we can neither expect quality or good mileage from Toyota.
06/12, 11:18 AM
posted by:
iglesias294
Don’t some people already convert their priuses to plug-ins? What kind of mileage do they get? Even if it’s not 100, it sure is worth it because electricity from your wall is loads cheaper than the equivalent in gas.
06/12, 11:27 AM
posted by:
Fletch
I wonder how the GM and Toyota pricepoint on the plug-ins will pan out. Competition is good for the consumer.
06/12, 11:33 AM
posted by:
xyunya
Some people did convert and reported greater mileage then original 44-48 Prius. But, Toyota always questioned reliability of converted cars and dropped warranty as soon as conversion was done. If i would convert my vehicle and loose warranty, I probably would claim greater mileage. Theoretically it is hard to fathom: if you start with 100% charged battery in the morning regardless of how it is charged the battery will get you only as far as “electric juice” can. You need to get larger capacity battery to get range and at current technology it is adding weight. The saving grace will be use of lithium-ion batteries, that have higher energy density. Conversely, they loose charge rapidly in the cold and can blow up in high heat ot sun exposure.
06/12, 11:34 AM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
yeah xyunya, GM was… lol Actually the Lunar Rover program was contracted to Boeing Corporation, but Delco/GM were subcontractors and were also involved in the program. Delco/GM were involved primarily in the electronics, and I think electric/battery powered propulsion system. Google Lunar Rover, and General Motors and a bunch of stuff comes up.
06/12, 12:15 PM
posted by:
horvatic
Dannyface get a clue will you. Just because it’s a hybrid doesn’t make it unreliable. Also hybrid means it uses some gasoline which means the gas motor can take over. And it won’t run out of charge because it regenerates its charge from braking and from the gas motors alternator. The plug-in part means there will be extra battery power that is charged from an outlet. But just because that runs out doesn’t mean the car will simply stop running. Toyota wouldn’t build it if that was the case.
If you don’t understand the technology then you shouldn’t comment on it because you are miss leading everyone else who doesn’t understand.
06/12, 12:29 PM
posted by:
shaver
How long will the cord be?
06/12, 12:57 PM
posted by:
SickofGarbageMotors
“Toyota is just pissy because GM has a lead over them on the technology.”
LOL, two full generations of Prius cars, a generation of midisze SUV’s (HL/RX) and Luxury sedans (GS/LS) and everyday cars (Camry) is behind the General??? Fockin GM can’t even get their “mild” **** right (leaking batteries anyone?, pathetic gas mileage and lower performance than its base 4-cylinder counterpart?) and that system isn’t even overly complex compared to HSD.
Why should we think GM has some kind of a lead in this segment? Because Bob Putz said so? GM is going to fall flat on its ass when the Volt comes out, hate to break it to ya. Even if Lutz’s vaporware does make it to market, Toyota will be well in to it’s next generation Prius which is already wildly successful and the public knows exactly what the flock their buying because of a little something called reputation., something that the Volt has Zero of (not counting the failed EV1 program, ya people are going to want some of that all over again!) and with an at AT LEAST 40 grand asking price, I highly doubt there will be too many people lining up to take that gamble.
Toyota jumping in to take on GM will be a side business, cushioned by yet another 200k Prius sales, something that GM doesn’t have the luxury of falling back on if the whole plug in concept backfires.
GM is a leader of nothing.
06/12, 1:00 PM
posted by:
Jordan
japan wasn’t part of the space race… that was russia.
06/12, 1:00 PM
posted by:
xyunya
Need4SSpeed, GM owned Hughes corporation as well, and Hughes was instrumental in most of NASA activities. and DoD. DoD arm race in 80’s partially credited with destruction of “Evil Empire” and communism in Europe. GM has hand in that as well? Are we splitting hair a little bit
06/12, 1:16 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Haha LMAO “GM helped win the Cold War?”
06/12, 1:26 PM
posted by:
xyunya
BTW, the largest single shareholder of GM shares is one of the Putin cohorts; probably representing “the man” himself. The only conciliation I have that ****en commie lost his as on that stock purchase.
06/12, 1:58 PM
posted by:
brassmonkey
Hybrid drivers are so damn stupid. If you plug in, where do you think the electricity comes from? Surprisingly little comes from hydro or wind farms or solar. A high percentage comes from BURNING COAL. And are you really saving all of us by getting an extra mpg, but now you need a different form of energy to drive? Asswipes.
06/12, 2:08 PM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
“When we see the (claims of) 100 mile-per-gallon stuff, not everybody’s going to get 100 miles per gallon,”, Thanks Captain Obvious, like all those Prius owners who get milage lower then posted by the EPA.
06/12, 2:17 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
didn’t know that… Figures.
Actually the Russians should buy Hummer. They love them and need them over more than we need it here.
06/12, 2:29 PM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
xyunya is right, GM has one of Putin’s good friends as a stockholder, but if Hummer is sold it will probably go to Mahindra or Tata.
06/12, 6:57 PM
posted by:
The Stig
Temper my expectations for any Toyota product is not a problem.
06/12, 10:15 PM
posted by:
psiclone
“Plug-in hybrids should have the capability to travel 40 miles on battery power alone, which would average out to about 100 mpg”.
poorly written sentence. if it traveled 40 miles on battery power alone, it wouldn’t average any miles to the “gallon” because batteries don’t use gasoline. it should probably have read “which, when combined with driving that requires alternator-powered recharging, would help it to average out to about 100 mpg.”
06/13, 1:26 AM
posted by:
NoNameDenton1
psiclone, good point, how can a car use a gallon of anything running on battery power.