The first of the additional styling that we might see on the Prius is the 2-door coupe that will target to topple the 2011 hybrid Honda CR-Z sports coupe.

The future member of the Prius line is expected to sport the same 4-cylinder 1.8L engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive set up of the current release of the Prius. The package though might come with better aerodynamics than the 5-door version which already boasts of a 0.25 drag coefficient– among the best for production cars today. The Prius coupe will also be a lot lighter than the family variant.

The Prius vehicles will see other new members like a small minivan that may rival the 2010 Mazda5 in terms of size and capacity. The Mazda5 is one class smaller than the current Toyota Sienna which is considered as one of the top choices for minivans in the United States.

The new members of the Prius line up will face off against hybrid models that will roll off the factories of Honda which is pushing harder to make their line up greener than it was originally planned.

A Japanese newspaper reports that Toyota will be producing between 20000 and 30000 units of plug-in hybrids come 2012. This will be two years after GM kicks off the production of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

A plug-in hybrid that was derived from the platform of the current Prius hybrid is expected to go to dealerships in Japan this month. This car will have a tag price starting at $47,800. The car will be able to travel for about 18.6 miles running on electric power alone. It depends on a pack of lithium ion batteries made by Panasonic EV Energy.

Toyota does not want to confirm any latest development with the plug-in hybrid cars they are producing.

A previous report verified that Toyota is fast tracking its global trials of about 500 units of plug-in hybrids by end of 2009. These cars will be ready for commercial and government fleets. Japan will keep about 200 vehicles for testing while 150 will go to Europe and the other 150 for the U.S. market.

The plug-in hybrid variant of the Prius returned a 30% improvement in terms of fuel mileage compared to the 2010 Prius which is already considered as the most fuel efficient in the U.S.

It was a good bet for a production vehicle but Toyota executives point out that they have a lot of priorities at the moment and building the A-BAT is not on top of their list.

The A-BAT was close to reality when the Japanese car manufacturer asked for bids from potential suppliers for the hybrid version and four cylinder variant of the truck. The light never went green though for the bulky futuristic vehicle.

The decision of the company may have been influenced by the dismal performance of their two pickups which have suffered from the drop in housing and construction. Toyota only sold 18349 units of the Tundra which is a 55% drop in 1Q sales. The Tacoma was also a laggard performer in the market with first quarter sales dropping as much as 37% or translating to only 24937 units sold.

Toyota executives assure the public that they are committed to meet the demand for the Tundra although the sales are greatly dependent on the construction industry.

The A-BAT was first thought to be entering the market as a Scion but the market’s focus on acquiring smaller vehicles proved to be an emphatic contrast to the possibility.

The market’s demands have changed drastically in the last twelve months and Toyota aims to adapt and adjust their priorities to meet the needs of the consumers. For now, they do not see the A-BAT selling in these recessionary times.

The 2010 Toyota Prius and the Oscar’s might really be a good mix. With the whole world watching and hundreds of flashbulbs flickering, the event was a great publicity and promotion of the silver screen elites’ advocacy to be green.

All eyes are on them when actors and actresses come to the biggest award’s night of the year. A gas gulper limo can definitely have a negative effect on their image now that fans and the press look at how the stars are ecologically conscious.

The 2010 Toyota Prius got the attention of the world amid the stars of the night serving as shuttle of the Hollywood elites. The Prius may actually be considered as a tribrid as it can also maximize the sun’s powers as solar panels are mounted on its roof.

The presence of the green car at the Oscar’s was made possible by the team up of Toyota with Econation. The latter is a transportation company which has a fleet of limos, buses, taxis, and town cars that are all fuel efficient. The Japanese car maker partnered with Econation to offer the 2010 Prius to the Oscar attendees.

Toyota is very aggressive with its campaign to dominate the hybrid sector of the automotive market. New fuel efficient car models are slated for released soon to further entice the appreciation of the market.

Some of the big names gearing to get a hold of the new solar powered hybrids are Rosario Dawson, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Tom Hanks.

Its system weight was reduced by almost 20 percent, with approximately 50-mpg fuel economy rating, nearly 90 percent of the hybrid’s drive system was re-engineered. This hybrid baby now runs with a lighter transaxle, which reduces torque loss, a more compact motor, and an inverter with a direct cooling mechanism.

The new Prius comes with 3 drive modes—EV-Drive is for low speed motoring that makes use of battery power alone; Eco for fuel-efficient driving; and Power with its increased throttle feedbacks for maximum performance.

Its 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder pumps 98 hp with an increased torque of 105 lb-ft, accelerating 60mph in 9.8 seconds. To boosts fuel efficiency, an increased torque rating help keep engine revs low during highway speed driving; an electric water pump, belts removal, and an exhaust gas system aid in consuming lesser fuel.

Its exterior has even sharper lines and a defined wedge shape. An improved airflow system reduced drag rate from O.26 (versus the former model) to 0.25. The interior carriers a moonroof complete with solar panels that powers an electric fan that help reduce the cool-down time. Other features include an remote air conditioning system and a stunning Touch Tracer System that projects the audio and information controls on the panel facing the driver. Optional features include a self-parking system and a radar cruise control.

No pricing has been announced, but the new Prius Hybrid is expected not to exceed the former model’s $22,720 price tag. More Hybrid Car News right here!

Up to when the Prius project will be frozen is still not known. What is evident is the 32% drop in sales that Toyota experience in November of 2008.

Prius sales dramatically dropped year over year coming from 16737 units sold in November of 2007 to just 8660 cars in 2008.

The Tupelo, Mississippi Toyota Plant which is the heart of the production plans in the US has an estimated cost of $1.3 billion. The building is 90% complete but the decision comes before ordering equipment that will go into the car plant.

The Tupelo assembly line is originally planned to build Highlander crossovers but this was discarded when the sales of SUVs dropped because of increasing fuel prices. The course of action was focused on producing Prius hybrids to answer the needs of the market.

The situation reflects the growing pressure on the global earnings of the Japanese car maker. The company aims to hit $6.6 billion of profit amid the reduction in production. This will be done by lowering the number of temporary employees in Japan, holding construction of car plants, and reduction of salary and bonuses of the top bosses.

Toyota has several factory constructions going on aside from the US project. It is planning to increase its production in China and is also building its presence in India and Brazil.

More news on this pause of production in the us on Wheeltronix.

CNG is more available than hydrogen as Irv Miller, manufacturer’s group VP for corporate communications, said. It has a pipeline that reaches 1.8 million miles in the United States. Though rare, since it only has 1,000 refueling stations all through US, it still has more than the approximately 10 hydrogen refill stations.

Toyota is even planning to release a Prius plug-in version for the fleet market around 2009. This will, of course, be greener.

With the issue of global warming, gasoline-mobilized automobiles face an environmental challenge. But even manufacturers with alternatives have their own challenges to face. For one, the said availability of CNG refilling stations can be a reason why potential buyers will think twice.

In 1999, Toyota launched their CNG-fueled Camry. The major challenge for the manufacturer was finding buyers since at that time gas still cost low. Honda even built their own CNG-fueled cars but faced similar challenges.

This time, the catch is it being hybrid. Now that the CNG innovation is combined with the hybrid-electric technology, Toyota has high hopes that it will have a far better appeal to the market. These alternative systems and its combination may just be the breakthrough manufacturers are waiting for.
In a world of environmental crisis, Toyota may seem to have pleased the green organizations. But as to pleasing the market, it remains unanswered.

Way to go, Toyota!

Good first post for our new blog. Expect more Toyota news from a big Toyota fan and Toyota driver here soon!