News Round-up: The Green Car Wars Rage On
Friday June 13, 2008
- Toyota's getting into the lithium-ion battery business, as part of a joint venture with Panasonic EV Energy Co. and Matsushita Electric Industry Co., reports the Wall Street Journal. The goal: to make lithium-ion batteries for their plug-in hybrids slated for 2010 and produce batteries for their current hybrids, like today's hot-selling Prius. Hybrid production is also being cranked up, with Camry hybrids now being made in both Thailand and Australia.
- But they're not alone. Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan are beginning to manufacture lithium-ion batteries too. And it's all about keeping up with growing hybrid demand--and the hybrid and electric vehicles that we'll be seeing in the next couple of years.
- Seems like current hybrids are disappearing off lots like greased lightning--when they're there, that is. Hybrid assembly plants are having a hard time keeping up with demand, and have been struggling with running out of necessary components, according to a recent USA Today article. Case in point: Last year at this time it took 60 days to sell the same Saturn Vue hybrid that's now knabbed in an average of only 16 days. Other companies like Toyota say that dealers' Prius stock "is measured now in hours, not days," according to Group Vice President Bob Carter. Battery bottlenecks are actually leading to a drop in sales, with folks purchasing conventional fuel-efficient cars in the interim. The best seller in May: Honda's conventional Civic. Sales rose 37 percent, while Civic hybrid sales rose only 3 percent.
- More hybrids to come from Honda and Toyota: Honda recently announced they'll be releasing a small, five-door hybrid hatchback for sale early next year, with 100,000 targeted to North America. Early reports indicate it will be "the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date." That brings Honda's total to four--four new hybrids that will be launched by 2015. And Toyota entered the fray with the announcement that they'll be offering two new hybrids--one a Toyota and one a Lexus--in 2009. While no further details are yet available, these hybrids are to be all-new, larger than the current Prius, and will debut at the Detroit Auto Show. Toyota is also working on other fuel-saving technologies: new 1.3-liter and 2.5-liter gas engines that will utilize start-stop technology and a new efficient compact 6-speed manual transmission due out this fall.
- And last but not least, hybrids have been the topic of discussion on Capitol Hill too. Hybrid trucks, that is. Seems that advances and serious developmental undertakings of hybrid technology have stalled. For 15 years, the federal government has been working on several initiatives that haven't taken off, apparently due to implementation and manufacturing challenges. While hearing panelists recently urged Congress to implement purchase incentives, tax credits and development funding (hybrid trucks costs 50 percent more than conventional), the current bill being considered targets plug-in hybrid research--leaving a huge abyss into which hybrid truck technology might disappear ... and we can only wonder if it'll manage to stay alive to be revived once again. Perhaps the sky-rocketing fuel prices will determine its fate once and for all.
All in all, folks, we say this round-up is mainly good news for all of us. More choices and more options give us all a chance to find rides that'll meet our needs and ultimately go lighter on drinkin' the fuel and emptyin' the wallet. Are you thinking of unloading your gas guzzler in the next coupla months? Or are you going to wait for the new battery technology and plug-ins to make their debut to get into serious fuel-sippin'?
Comments
Hurray! I’m planning to keep my Corolla (now going-on-11) until I can get a plug-in hybrid, but I hear the Chevy Volt is going to be outrageously expensive. Glad to hear some competition is entering in!
it’s amazing to know about hybrid cars built and manufactured by different car companies…and they really are cheap compared to other cars… I’m glad to hear this!
Just bought a Civic Hybrid and am so far very happy with it. About 45 mpg brand-new, and it’s slowly increasing as we get through the break-in period. So nice to pass those gas stations by! We parked our F-350 and only use it now when there’s carrying or towing involved.