Next year’s Detroit auto show will see a whole lot of new designs and concepts and Toyota is targeting the January show to be their venue to debut two all-new hybrids for next year. However, this just wouldn’t be a simple expansion of the Prius line as one of the hybrids will be a Lexus, the other, the third-generation Prius.

No word yet on when exactly Toyota will be placing these new hybrids even if clamor for purchasing these green cars are at an all-time high. No revolutionary changes in the technology (don’t expect plug-ins yet) as both are to run with nickel-metal hydride batteries though the new Prius will be a larger vehicle.

This hybrid race is also shaping up to be one tough fight as other auto makers are scrambling their development and production teams to claim a piece of this ripe market. Honda has announced that it will create four hybrid models and see them through production. Nissan is also developing its own hybrid offerings.

Source: Autoweek

It’s somehow great to know how quickly auto makers are addressing issues especially if it’s their sales that are taking a beating. Yesterday, it was reported that Toyota and Ford are having real problems coping with the demand for their hybrids due to lack of battery supplies.

Now, it seems that Toyota and Ford have found a solution for the issue and it’s by shipping production overseas. Toyota will be sending production of their Camry hybrid to Thailand and Australia. Production in Australia is also partly to address the growing demand for hybrids down under. Ford is apparently also looking into tapping Australia to address their hybrid supply shortage.

As an incentive, Australia even awarded Toyota A$35 million to build hybrid cars for the local market.

Source: Reuters

Talk about WTF! Prey on people’s growing environmental awareness and lack foresight on makers and dealers alike. With gasoline prices reaching $4 a gallon, many are ditching their hulking gas-guzzling SUVs in exchange for gas-sipping hybrids. And yes, there is huge demand for hybrids.

While Toyota was just oh-so-happy about getting a million Priuses on the road, they might have to rethink things on how they’d got about selling a million more. Sales of hybrids took a hit recently and not due to market demand but because of production shortage as battery supplies are scarce. Toyota isn’t the only one hit by this as supplies for the Ford Escape Hybrid became limited as well.

Prius sales dropped a whopping 37.5% in May compare to 24,009 units sold last year. Toyota’s Camry hybrid is doing as well. The whole choke from production to sales is the fact that Toyota couldn’t make enough batteries to power the Priuses rolling out of factories. And, as an enterprising move, they held production down, to encourage buyers to purchase other models.

Tsk. Saving the world vs. making money.

Source: AutoWeek

Britain’s Autocar magazine featured a print-only article claiming that the third-generation Toyota Prius will get more oomph. With a reputation of being a super silent slowpoke, Toyota might just give the Prius some upgrades to change this perception. While it will gain a few inches in length and width, it will also get some added displacement.

From the current 1.5L engine, the gas engine will get a bump of 0.3L, the new Prius will sport a 1.8L engine that would generate 100 hp. Decent enough to match non-hybrid Toyota models like the Matrix and Corolla. If you think that displacement will take its toll on efficiency, Toyota is gunning for a 12% improvement on efficiency.

It will be an interesting development to watch out for, especially with announcements of other car companies like Honda who will also be putting in more effort on developing hybrids in their fleets. Probably this next Prius may help secure Toyota’s spot as the king of the green hill.

Source: Autocar via Winding Road

Should Toyota be happy with 1 million Toyota Priuses on the road? They should be. Milestones are milestones, aren’t they? But knowing how Toyota moves, I’m pretty sure that they fall into that segment of the population who can’t just have enough.

Toyota reports that, as of the end of April, sales of the first mass-produced hybrid has hit 1,028,000 across 40 countries. In North America, Toyota might just have to thank Cameron Diaz and Leo DiCaprio (throw in Al Gore too, for scaring us all with ManBearPig) for inspiring a cult following among smug celebrities and environmentally concerned people with money.

Whether Prius will be a separate badge (much like Lexus is to Toyota) or not is something that we still have to confirm but with the mad rush for fuel efficiency and the feds breathing down everyone’s necks to be “responsible,” the 2 million mark isn’t all too optimistic.

Now this is surely news. There’s a silent killer on the loose - and it’s a Toyota Prius! We’ve all heard the controversy surrounding hybrids and how they pose a threat to visually impaired people. Since they get to use their other senses like hearing, silent hybrids pose the dangers of them not sensing oncoming cars.

Seems like blind people aren’t the only ones to fear the Prius. Eight-year-old Owen Erickson was whanged by a Toyita Prius. He was biking with a friend when the Prius, which Erickson claimed he didn’t hear pasisng by, clipped him. Good thing the kid wasn’t hurt though ending up on the hybrid’s hood.

Kid and mom claims that they can’t hear the hybrid.

Legislation is being pushed to have hybrids emit some kind of noise especially when running on the electric motor.

Source: CNN

So Toyota hasn’t really revealed any plans of making a Prius convertible at all and chances are they never will, unless of course, this catches up. Drivers interested in being all smug and haughty about saving the planet by driving a Prius can now do so while appreciating how bluer they are making the sky.

Aftermarket tuning group Newport Convertible Engineering has created this Prius convertible. They just basically lop off roofs of cars manufacturers won’t even dare of making a convertible out of. And looking at their gallery, with good results at that.

It’s interesting what this whole new twist on the Prius would do to the brand.

Source: NCE

I am a big Toyota fan (though I don’t really understand why my next car’s an old Mitsubishi Lancer). The latest big news about Toyota (well, with exception to the massive recalls), is that Prius is set to be Toyota’s next brand. It would be synonymous to the hybrid line.

It is beyond any shadow of a doubt that in America, when it comes to hybrids, the Prius is king. But what good will this rebranding do to the car and company? Whoever is the marketing genius behind this is playing a big gamble on the company’s stock and image.

The company will no longer be selling the Prius hybrids under the Toyota badge after the 2011 model. The next models to roll out under the Prius name will also have varied sizes internally dubbed as Prius A, B and C which would range from the dimensions of the Yaris to the Camry.

It’s interesting how to see this plays out.

Source: Leftlane News

Uh oh. I’m a big Toyota fan and I was glad when Prius was named the top dog of hybrids but what’s this. Owners are complaining about incidences of unintended acceleration.

Toyota mechanics are quick to dismiss this as an issue citing driver error or the accelerator getting stuck to the carpeting. Consumers, however, are quick to press the issue. And there have been numerous complaints. Some are pointing at a probable error in the cruise control system installed in the Prius. Toyota has yet to give a definite official statement on this.

Source: Consumer Affairs

The 2007 Alternative Powertrain Study SM, a recent study by JD Power and Associates released last month, reveals that consumer clamor for hybrids is declining as buyers are now being more realistic with regard to actual fuel efficiency. Only half of new-car buyers surveyed are now considering hybrid as opposed to 57% from last year.

While a general decline can be observed across all age groups, in particular younger vehicle shoppers, those 16 to 25 years old, appear less interested in the powertrain technology, with 60 percent considering a hybrid in 2007, down from 73 percent in 2006. The average additional price hybrid considerers are willing to pay for this powertrain is $2,396, with the expectation of receiving an improvement of 18.5 miles per gallon (MPG) over a traditional vehicle of similar size.

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