Friday 21st August 2015

Toyota sells eight million hybrids

Prius power takes over (or the world goes crazy) as Toyota racks up an incredible number for hybrid sales

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1997 wasn't a great year for cars. The Ford Puma, Alfa 156 and VW Golf Mk4 are all fine cars in their own way but they aren't especially exciting. Especially when you consider the year before saw the Ferrari 550 and TVR Cerbera launched, then the water-cooled 911 in 1998. But 1997 was made an especially bad year for cars because it was the year Toyota introduced the Prius. Oh dear.

Can't it just go in the Thames?

Why is that significant? Well now, just 18 years later and having sold only 300 cars in that first year, Toyota has flogged eight million ruddy hybrids. Eight million! Along the way Toyota claims approximately 58 million fewer tons of CO2 have been emitted than if similar size combustion engined cars had been used. Here we won't so much celebrate the occasion as point out that the situation might not be as bad as it seems.

Alright, there's little hope from Toyota's portfolio. The Prius has always been uninspiring to say the least (we'll keep it polite), even if they did set a 'ring record in it. Remember the original was around at about the same time as the Honda Insight, the funky and innovative hybrid assembled alongside the NSX. Everyone after a hybrid went with the tedious Toyota, forcing Honda to make the incredibly dull second-gen Insight. There's little to be excited by elsewhere in the current line up either; Yaris or Auris Hybrid do much for you? Lexus IS300h? Exactly.

Come on Toyota, you know what to do

But there's hope. What the past few years have taught petrolheads across the globe is that hybrid needn't mean hideous. The hypercar trio arguably had the greatest impact but cars like the Golf GTE, Mercedes SLS Electric Drive and BMWi8 have really boosted (sorry) the appeal of electric and hybrid vehicles. Toyota could even reclaim some credibility with a production version of the FT-1; a turbocharged straight-six like the good old days with some electric assistance? Looking like the concept car? That would add a few to the eight million!

So well done Toyota on proving your hybrids have staying power. Fingers crossed a few of the next eight million might be rather more appealing to enthusiasts.

[daveco]

The newer versions are very nice inside.

However much like the Nissan Micra, the drivers of Priuseseses are on the whole extremely st at driving.

I often wonder how aware you can be driving one? Hybrid car owner mindset, no noise most of the time, very light steering, and of course that fancy electronic dashboard that is bigger than the moon...it all logically adds up to st driving.

It's a Friday. I should be happy.

[Itsallicanafford]

'Auris Hybrid do much for you? Lexus IS300h? Exactly.'

i own both of these cars, they are brilliant!

edited to Add.

Very Lazy article this.
The Honda Insight is badged IMA - Intelligent Motor Assist - i.e it cannot run on electric only, the motors only assist the ICE
The Prius is badged HSD - Hybrid synergy drive - i.e the electric motor or electric/ICE can power the vehicle. It can run purely on the electric motor only from energy recovered during braking. An Auris or IS300H can run upto 50mph on electric only.
The fact that Toyota developed the system and made it work faultlessly in 1997 should be applauded, not condemned.

Edited by Itsallicanafford on Friday 21st August 13:58

Edited by Itsallicanafford on Friday 21st August 14:01

[kambites]

I'd rather have a hybrid than a diesel.

[fatboy b]

I'd rather not have a hybrid. Frightful things, along with misrepresented so called greeness statistics.

[Mr GrimNasty]

They are indeed completely and utterly pointless and not in the least green. They are just a product of politics.

[JD]

said:

But 1997 was made an especially bad year for cars because it was the year Toyota introduced the Prius. Oh dear.

The ignorance shown in this article is impressive for a "motoring journalist"

The Prius put toyota 15 years ahead of most manufacturers, some who are still trying to catch up with them on the development of a hybrid powertrain.

It is probably THE most significant step change in the automotive world for the last 30 years.

Engineering creativity and boldness such as this should be celebrated, not panned by those to ignorrant too understand its benefits.

Edited by JD on Friday 21st August 14:00

[Howard-]

Mr GrimNasty said:

They are indeed completely and utterly pointless and not in the least green. They are just a product of politics.

They're much, much nicer than a nasty little 4 cylinder diesel engine though.

[soad]

kambites said:

I'd rather have a hybrid than a diesel.

I'll have neither.

[kambites]

JD said:

The ignorance shown in this article is impressive for a "motoring journalist"

Daily Mail syndrome. People don't want to have their opinions challenged, they just want affirmation of their rather narrow-minded beliefs.

[kambites]

soad said:

kambites said:

I'd rather have a hybrid than a diesel.

I'll have neither.

Me too, at least for the moment.

[Hooli]

daveco said:

The newer versions are very nice inside.

However much like the Nissan Micra, the drivers of Priuseseses are on the whole extremely st at driving.

I often wonder how aware you can be driving one? Hybrid car owner mindset, no noise most of the time, very light steering, and of course that fancy electronic dashboard that is bigger than the moon...it all logically adds up to st driving.

It's a Friday. I should be happy.

I know a hybrid driver & I wont get in a car with him, he's that bad at driving.

Plus he's a total cock.

[Willy Nilly]

fatboy b said:

I'd rather not have a hybrid. Frightful things, along with misrepresented so called greeness statistics.

Why are they so bad?

The Prius appears to be utterly reliable and recovers energy that would be otherwise waste during braking and putting it to use, why is this bad? I quite like the look of one and would suit the sort of journeys I do (mostly in town) well.

They were never about saving the world, they were to reduce local emissions in built up areas.

[anonymous-user]

Mr GrimNasty said:

They are indeed completely and utterly pointless and not in the least green.

And on exactly what basis do you make that^^^ statement, other than your rather obvious hatred of something you see as "boring"??

[GTEYE]

Willy Nilly said:

fatboy b said:

I'd rather not have a hybrid. Frightful things, along with misrepresented so called greeness statistics.

Why are they so bad?

The Prius appears to be utterly reliable and recovers energy that would be otherwise waste during braking and putting it to use, why is this bad? I quite like the look of one and would suit the sort of journeys I do (mostly in town) well.

They were never about saving the world, they were to reduce local emissions in built up areas.

There's one in our company that has now done in excess of 240,000 miles, been ragged its entire life and never needed anything other than normal dealer servicing.

However you view the car or its eco-credentials, I kind of have to admire Toyota for making the tech work so faultlessly.

[Matt Bird]

JD said:

said:

But 1997 was made an especially bad year for cars because it was the year Toyota introduced the Prius. Oh dear.

The ignorance shown in this article is impressive for a "motoring journalist"

The Prius put toyota 15 years ahead of most manufacturers, some who are still trying to catch up with them on the development of a hybrid powertrain.

It is probably THE most significant step change in the automotive world for the last 30 years.

Engineering creativity and boldness such as this should be celebrated, not panned by those to ignorrant too understand its benefits.


That was not the intention! As mentioned elsewhere in the article, a great deal of hybrid cars are hugely desirable as far back as the original Insight. It's not a slur on the technology, more that it is packaged in a rather unimaginative car. I don't think anywhere near as many people would have a Prius if it wasn't saving them money or doing the environment good.

Edited by JD on Friday 21st August 14:00

[fatboy b]

Willy Nilly said:

fatboy b said:

I'd rather not have a hybrid. Frightful things, along with misrepresented so called greeness statistics.

Why are they so bad?

The Prius appears to be utterly reliable and recovers energy that would be otherwise waste during braking and putting it to use, why is this bad? I quite like the look of one and would suit the sort of journeys I do (mostly in town) well.

They were never about saving the world, they were to reduce local emissions in built up areas.

If you add together the total production / usage / end of life costs, both in terms of ££ and greeness, they are no better than a conventional car. The only use they can have is to reduce exhaust pipe emissions (temporarily) in big cities. Once they are on the open road, they are pointless, and often use more fuel than a conventional non-hybrid car. They are heavier than a non-hybrid version, as you have cart around 2 engines and 2 power sources. They are also more than a tad dangerous is a collision if you unfortunately have to be cut out of the wreckage. Jump-starting one isn't without its hazards.

[kambites]

fatboy b said:

If you add together the total production / usage / end of life costs, both in terms of ££ and greeness, they are no better than a conventional car.

Citation needed.

And not one funded by the oil industry.

[TNH]

I wouldn't mind driving a hybrid, its the fact that they all look bloody stupid in comparison to "normal" cars. If BMW (or anyone else) did an affordable hybrid 3er (ie comparable to a 320d) then I would rather drive the hybrid.

[kambites]

TNH said:

I wouldn't mind driving a hybrid, its the fact that they all look bloody stupid in comparison to "normal" cars. If BMW (or anyone else) did an affordable hybrid 3er (ie comparable to a 320d) then I would rather drive the hybrid.

I think the huge majority of hybrids these days are just a drive-train option in a "normal car"; it just tends to sit somewhere near the middle of the range rather than at the bottom.

There's certainly a C-class hybrid even if there's no 3-series.

Edited by kambites on Friday 21st August 14:49

[renaultgeek]

I can't find an article about neodynium mining thats not sensationalist looking. So do I believe it or not?