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October 8, 2008
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Toyota Gets Ready to Plug In

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Posted on Jun 11, 2008
Prius
engadget.com

Fuel economy has done wonders for Toyota’s bottom line, so the hybrid pioneer has decided to add a plug-in to its lineup by 2010 and will have a hybrid version of every vehicle it makes sometime in the 2020s. Why so long? Because new batteries have to be developed in order to make the plan work.

C|Net News on the Plug-in:

The company on Wednesday said that the plug-in hybrid will be “geared toward fleet customers in Japan, (the) United States, and Europe.”

A joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic EV Energy plans to begin production of lithium ion batteries next year and move to full-scale production in 2010. Using the battery, Toyota plans to introduce a small electric vehicle for mass production.

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Engadget on Toyota’s Big Plans:

Meanwhile, Toyota has been working with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co to develop batteries that will outperform lithium-ion batteries for its plans to introduce hybrid versions of every single car in its lineup between 2020 and 2029. If that seems too far away, the next generation Prius, due next year, will use NiMH batteries.

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By nino, June 13 at 3:35 am #

Yes, the loooong tail pipe syndrome has come at last! Don’t get me wrong, I’d love one of these hooked up to a solar panel at my home, but this aint gonna save us.

Besides oil running out as we use more and more coal, the way the vast majority of electricity is produced in this country, we can now add exponential growth, and exhaustion, of our coal supply.

Plug in hybrids, ethanol, bio-diesel, synthesized coal liquids, methane gas, hydrogen fuel cells, and other “alternatives” have been passed around like a lump of hot coal for years. All of these, in their best possible forms of production, still have a net energy loss. Some are closer than others but realistically they’re not going to save us. But more importantly, they all have one vision...to keep all the cars running by any means.

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By SteveL, June 12 at 8:34 pm #

What GM have in store?  More of the Hummer line.  This is the third gas crunch I can remember and the U.S. based companies are once again caught with their pants down.

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By Reubenesque, June 12 at 12:17 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Plug-ins may work for 30 or 40% of people but, even with evolving battery technology, EVs will not be practical overall transportion (at least personal transportation anyway) until standardized, quickly interchangable battery packs are utilized.  A whole new system of “exchange” stations would have to be put in place and the recharging electricity would have to be produced cleanly also.

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By Purple Girl, June 12 at 6:48 am #

This being ‘behind the 8 Ball’is intentional. They pulled this shit in th e’80’s until they could no longer be the Bitch for the Oil industry because the japanese were Kicking their Asses selling Fuel efficient cars instead of the gas guzzling lead sleds. But I’m sure they reassure the Oil companies they’d come back to them and make US their Bitches as soon as Possible and POOF! so comes out the ‘Need’ and ‘Prestige’ of SUV’s. How Loyal, waht good little Whores the Big 3 are- Best bitches in the stable AH?
Fools, along with their Cohorts in Politics. had You turned away from Oil you would have been the leaders again. We would have been Producing alternative Fuel vehicles in the ‘80’s- But No You Killed the fledgling attempt for the Electric car. And in doing So helped enslave US to the wishes and Whims of the ME ‘Royals’. Killed the state whos citizens had made you the most powerful of all auto makers in the world, and of course all the other states who relied on Michigan to continue Producing. You are resposnible for the Downing of Ameirca- You could have refused and actually worked for your -and Ours- Best interest and Future survival. But the Rewards were to readily accessible, so immediate, so irresistable you just had to betray US All.Look Down Big 3 the Blood of Humanity is also on YOUR hands!

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