Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumToyota acknowledges reality: Moving into the lithium EV business with series hybrid plug in.
...While rivals including Tesla Motors and Nissan Motor Co began adopting lithium-ion battery technology nearly a decade ago, Toyota has largely held back due to concerns over cost, size and safety.
...Having Toyota endorse lithium-ion will be a fillip for the developing technology, and gives the automaker the option to produce for an all-electric passenger car market which it has avoided, preferring to put its heft behind hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs).
Toyota says its Prius Prime, a soon-to-be-launched plug-in electric version of the world's top-selling gasoline hybrid, will use lithium-ion batteries, with enough energy to make the car go around 60 kms (37.3 miles) when fully charged before the gasoline engine kicks in. Because of different methodology in measuring a car's electric mode range, the Prime's 60 km range will be listed in the United States as around 25 miles (40.2 kms).
<snip>
While Toyota sees FCVs as the ultimate 'green' car, the United States and China are encouraging automakers to make more all-electric battery cars as they push alternative energy strategies. <snort>
more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-toyota-batteries-idUSKBN12U0ZH
caraher
(6,279 posts)highlight the part underlined above, and throw a bunch of links to technology demonstration projects as if they were real options for the next 5-10 years.
Or maybe just surprise us...
Or maybe just ignore this.
I've got to wonder what "methodology" difference takes the electric range down by 33%? My Volt's electric range does vary depending on weather and how I drive it, but it's still way more consistent than that (and so far never less than the original spec of 36 miles).
kristopher
(29,798 posts)My first thought was that there may be an issue in the US with maintaining a buffer in accordance with manufacturers' battery maintenance recommendations.
caraher
(6,279 posts)Though it seems like the buffer is only maintained if the car is set up to preserve that. I do know the Volt's number reflects GM's conservative approach to battery management, never fully charging and always holding a 10% reserve. But it seems that other EVs don't do that (e.g. I think the numbers for the Leaf reflect using the whole charge of the battery)
nationalize the fed
(2,169 posts)Toyota has a 100 year plan. It includes everything from lithium batteries to hydrogen buses. They have billions in the bank and they make ~10 million reliable cars per year. They pioneered electric cars, and multitudes of fools laughed at them when they did- just like now.
Few have (and will) bother to watch the following event but they've explained this hydrogen plan clearly in this and other videos and press releases (translation provided).
While Americans quibble about how hydrogen is described and say it can't be contained because it leaks through everything, Japan has perfected a car that doesn't need a drop of oil - and produces power. Germany has introduced a hydrogen airplane and hydrogen trains to go with their h2 submarine. Keep smirking.