Toyota to Use Prius Hybrids to Supply Household Appliances with Electricity!

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. In Japan’s case, the devastating earthquake in March and the subsequent damages to the country’s infrastructure put the spotlight on Toyota’s Estima Hybrid minivan that features a system allowing the supply of auxiliary electricity to power household appliances.

The minivan’s owners were extremely satisfied with the system, which effectively turns the hybrid system into an electric generator that runs on gasoline, claiming that it was invaluable during the extended blackouts in Japan.

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Union of Concerned Scientists Releases 2011 Hybrid Scorecard: Prius = Good, Touareg Hybrid = Bad

The Union of Concerned Scientist, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its second annual Hybrid Scorecard. The organisation criticised hybrid car manufacturers for not delivering on the technology’s promise, for placing performance above fuel efficiency and environmental benefit and burdening hybrids with features that put them out of the price range of average Americans.
A total of 34 hybrid vehicles from the 2011 to 2012 model year were tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The latter is features that don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make the cars more appealing to money-conscious consumers.

Union of Concerned Scientists Releases 2011 Hybrid Scorecard: Prius = Good, Touareg Hybrid = Bad

The Union of Concerned Scientist, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its second annual Hybrid Scorecard. The organisation criticised hybrid car manufacturers for not delivering on the technology’s promise, for placing performance above fuel efficiency and environmental benefit and burdening hybrids with features that put them out of the price range of average Americans.
A total of 34 hybrid vehicles from the 2011 to 2012 model year were tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The latter is features that don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make the cars more appealing to money-conscious consumers.

Union of Concerned Scientists Releases 2011 Hybrid Scorecard: Prius = Good, Touareg Hybrid = Bad

The Union of Concerned Scientist, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its second annual Hybrid Scorecard. The organisation criticised hybrid car manufacturers for not delivering on the technology’s promise, for placing performance above fuel efficiency and environmental benefit and burdening hybrids with features that put them out of the price range of average Americans.
A total of 34 hybrid vehicles from the 2011 to 2012 model year were tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The latter is features that don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make the cars more appealing to money-conscious consumers.

The Toyota Prius

You can experience what others are experiencing and that is relaxation. When you know you made a right choice at the right time, it just feels so good. When you are driving down the freeway and your car drives so smooth, it makes you feel like you taking care of your business and don't have to worry about the problems that other vehicles can provide to you. The Toyota Prius has been tested and tested over and over so you will not have any problems as far as accidents are concerned. The air bags are safe and secure and will work properly if anything was to happen.

The Toyota Prius was produced and privately imported to New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom between the years of 1997-2001. The Toyota Prius have very good advantages because it is a Hybrid and not like those other conventional vehicles out there. There has been a rising fuel cost lately and you shouldn't want any part of it. Hybrid cars are environment friendly with lower toxic emissions as the conventional cars are powered by gasoline and that's why hybrid vehicles use less gas. The Toyota Prius is environmentally friendly because it does not cause as much pollution as those conventional vehicles that are available.

Hybrid cars can offer you more savings because you can get tax incentives for your purchase. This has been done in 2005 when President Bush signed an agreement to give all citizens a tax relief incentive. You would always get an outstanding experience when it comes to the Toyota Prius.

Carter told Autoweek that while the company has not made a final decision yet, the concept of a true 7-seater Prius minivan for the North American market is “being seriously studied”. He added that the three-row Prius would have to be based on a dedicated platform and meet certain criteria such as feature an aerodynamic shape, be able to return at least 40mpg and have a strong value-price equation.

Another Toyota executive, corporate manager of product planning Ben Mitchell, confirmed that his team has put several proposals for new hybrid vehicles in different segments on the table, including that of a larger 7-seater Prius as well as hybrid versions of the Sienna minivan and Venza crossover.

The Toyota Prius

You can experience what others are experiencing and that is relaxation. When you know you made a right choice at the right time, it just feels so good. When you are driving down the freeway and your car drives so smooth, it makes you feel like you taking care of your business and don't have to worry about the problems that other vehicles can provide to you. The Toyota Prius has been tested and tested over and over so you will not have any problems as far as accidents are concerned. The air bags are safe and secure and will work properly if anything was to happen.

The Toyota Prius was produced and privately imported to New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom between the years of 1997-2001. The Toyota Prius have very good advantages because it is a Hybrid and not like those other conventional vehicles out there. There has been a rising fuel cost lately and you shouldn't want any part of it. Hybrid cars are environment friendly with lower toxic emissions as the conventional cars are powered by gasoline and that's why hybrid vehicles use less gas. The Toyota Prius is environmentally friendly because it does not cause as much pollution as those conventional vehicles that are available.

Hybrid cars can offer you more savings because you can get tax incentives for your purchase. This has been done in 2005 when President Bush signed an agreement to give all citizens a tax relief incentive. You would always get an outstanding experience when it comes to the Toyota Prius.

Carter told Autoweek that while the company has not made a final decision yet, the concept of a true 7-seater Prius minivan for the North American market is “being seriously studied”. He added that the three-row Prius would have to be based on a dedicated platform and meet certain criteria such as feature an aerodynamic shape, be able to return at least 40mpg and have a strong value-price equation.

Another Toyota executive, corporate manager of product planning Ben Mitchell, confirmed that his team has put several proposals for new hybrid vehicles in different segments on the table, including that of a larger 7-seater Prius as well as hybrid versions of the Sienna minivan and Venza crossover.

Toyota Prius reaches a milestone (EU)

Toyota is rejoicing in selling its 200,000th Prius hybrid in Europe. The sedan hit the European market back in 2000, with sales reaching 100,000 in 2008. However, with the arrival of the Prius III, and a shift in buying trends towards cars which are apparently as greener, Toyota has sold a further 100,000 units in the last two years. In the U.S, the Prius hybrid has sold in excess of 680,000 units since its launch in 1997.

Over the Prius’ 10 years on sale, many enhancements to its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain saw fuel consumption drop by more than 23% and CO2 emissions plummet by around 26%. This has been achieved despite power increasing by 30%.

The UK is the Prius’ largest European market with more than 1 in 5 sales in the UK. This year’s sales to date are at 6,579 units, almost equalling the 2009 figure in just six months.

Confirming the Prius’ presence as a mainstream model the world over, Toyota expects global sales to reach 2m by the Autumn of this year.