Toyota division doubles hybrid component production capacity
2010 Lexus HS 250h – Click above for high-res image gallery
With the new Lexus HS250h beginning to hit the streets in the coming months, Toyota's ever-expanding hybrid lineup will need parts. Toyota Motor Kyushu Inc. is stepping up to supply bits that include the motor/generators and transmissions. The new factory launched last year with a single production line that supplies vehicles like the Lexus RX450h and Highlander. A second production line is now coming on stream to supply component sets for the HS. The new facility includes clean room areas for assembly of sensitive electronic components. The combined capacity for the two lines will now be 168,000 units annually, which seems to be more than the expected demand for the HS and RX hybrids. Perhaps Lexus is preparing to launch an ES hybrid as well with the next generation.
Gallery: First Drive: Lexus HS 250h
Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Green Car Congress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
downtoearth 10:08AM (7/20/2009)
There is a very interesting interview with Toyota tech guru published on Autoblog which should clearly make its way to Autobloggreen, preferably with summary and conclusion done by the poster.
Key conclusions by Bill Reinert from Toyota:
- Li-Ion batteries are too expensive by at least an order of magnitude to be deployed on plug-in hybrids on a large scale
- car manufacturers are already below the levels of diminishing returns after passing 50 mpg barrier
- pushing for 100 mpg cars make no sense, few people accept their price and compromises such vehicles enforce, much more oil would be saved by swapping millions of 20 mpg cars with viable 50-mpg ones
- enthusiasm for innovation as seen in Silicon Valley companies cannot be translated into automotive reality
http://www.automobilemag.com/green/news/0908_toyotas_bill_reinert_future_of_the_automobile/index.html
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I did an elementary school estimate to show how right this bloke is.
Assumptions:
1. Fuel price = 7$/gallon
2. Chevrolet Volt is driven on all electric mode only.
3. Charging costs are ignored.
4. 2010 Toyota Prius III = ~22k USD, 50 mpg
5. 2011 Chevrolet Volt = ~42k USD, 20k more than the Prius
6. Volt Battery replacement costs are ignored.
7. Costs of financing are ignored.
Year/ Mileage covered / cash saved on driving the Volt under assumptions above instead of the Prius III
Year 01 = 15000 miles = 2100$ saved
Year 02 = 30000 miles = 4200$ saved
Year 03 = 45000 miles = 6300$ saved
Year 04 = 60000 miles = 8400$ saved
Year 05 = 75000 miles = 10500$ saved
Year 06 = 90000 miles = 12600$ saved
Year 07 = 105000 miles = 14700$ saved
Year 08 = 120000 miles = 16800$ saved
Year 09 = 135000 miles = 18900$ saved
Year 10 = 150000 miles = 21000$ saved
10 years just to recoup initial costs under "pie in the sky" assumptions.
Now, fuel is not 7$ per gallon, you won't drive a plug-in hybrid in 100% electric mode, charging costs money, the more deeply charged/discharged plug-in hybrid battery will likely have much shorter life than those in hybrids (they just use 10% of their capacity to prolong life) and you have to finance the 40k$ purchase. On the plus side, Volt maintenance and repairs should cost much less. But then, Priuses are also painfully durable.
Recession will be prolonged and scary. No country for 40k compact/low midsize electric cars. People just won't buy it.
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Serge 12:06PM (7/20/2009)
Your analysis completely ignores the value of pleasure one is likely to encounter when driving an EV like the Volt. Something, most agree as absent in an econobox like the Prius.
Hint: numbers are only but one factor in a decision-making process.
jpm100 2:41PM (7/20/2009)
The Volt vehicle is in another class from the Prius in terms of size.
Size the Volt for cost against the LS250h and I'm sure there might be shoe on the other foot objection.
Also the Prius has had the benefit of 10 years of production to pull out cost. The Volt is just starting.
downtoearth 6:49PM (7/20/2009)
Serge:
> Your analysis completely ignores the value
> of pleasure one is likely to encounter when driving
> an EV like the Volt.
Hey, I'm all for that! I'd be the first one to buy something that makes seriously little economic sense but harms environment much less!
But if electric cars are to make an impact, they have to be purchased on large scale. With economics as follows, this is truly unlikely to happen :-/
Also the results from Google Recharge study cast a very skeptical view onto plug-in future.
> Hint: numbers are only but one factor in a decision-making process.
Yes but... I bet for majority of people, when costs are so high, they'll give up. Only rich eco-oriented ones will follow.
jpm100 2:41PM (7/20/2009)
> The Volt vehicle is in another class from the Prius in terms of size.
Not really.
Length:
Chevrolet Volt: 450 cm
Toyota Prius III: 446 cm
Wheebase:
Chevrolet Volt: 268 cm
Toyota Prius III: 270 cm
> Also the Prius has had the benefit of 10 years of
> production to pull out cost. The Volt is just starting.
True. The only question is how much can they drive battery cost down. They need to make it some 10x cheaper for plug-ins to kick off.
usbseawolf2000 11:09PM (7/20/2009)
"Something, most agree as absent in an econobox like the Prius"
Prius is an econobox? Bwahaha!! Have you been inside or even driven one before?
LED headlight, Radar Cruise Control, Park Assist, Lane Keep Assist, etc.. are so econobox features!
Alan 11:38AM (7/20/2009)
Well that's me told - I'm not going to get any new automotive technology, ever. Because, schoolboy maths based on static analysis shows me that *AT BEST* the new technology will allow me to break even over the lifetime of the car when infact my only interest in the technology is to save ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS RIGHT NOW MUHAHAHAHAHA...
Ahem.
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Alan 11:40AM (7/20/2009)
Oh by the way - Toyota can take their press releases and shove 'em where the sun don't shine ;-)
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usbseawolf2000 12:15PM (7/20/2009)
I have to agree with downtoearth.
1) 50 MPG -> 100 MPG reduces 1,500 gallons.
2) 25 MPG -> 50 MPG reduces 3,000 gallons.
1) 50 MPG -> 100 MPG costs $10,000.
2) 25 MPG -> 50 MPG costs $800 (Prius II compared to Matrix S 2.4l 5-speed Auto with CC)
#1 costs $6.67 per gallon to displace. This is definitely beyond the point of diminishing return.
#2 costs 27 cents per gallon to displace.
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downtoearth 6:51PM (7/20/2009)
You nailed it.
That's the bread and butter economics so many so often forget.
Reno20k 2:46AM (7/21/2009)
hmmm ... I'm sure they'll put out an ES hybrid sometime but I don't see why we won't see a Venza hybrid and soon. They're fairly appealing and share a platform with the already hybridized Camry. I'm guessing we'll see it soon with the Venza picking up some steam in the coming months.
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