Toyota Prius, Rav4, Lexus RX, and “a supercar”
The age of the electric supercar is fast approaching, with Audi’s upcoming e-tron and the recently-revealed Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell leading the way. New reports out of the US this week suggest that the world’s number one carmaker, Toyota, is looking to join the fray. Toyota boss Akio Toyoda, inspired by a spin in the Tesla Roadster, has approved advanced research into the idea of an electric supercar. Toyota and Tesla have recently joined forces to develop new electric vehicle technologies, and while Rav4 and Lexus RX prototypes have been hinted at, there has yet to be any official word on expanding the project to include a supercar.
Toyota’s electric supercar will produce nearly 400kW, using electric motors at all four wheels to propel itself to 100km/hr (62 mph) in around four seconds.
While Toyota has been a driving force in the hybrid market for some years with the Prius, now into its third generation, the Japanese carmaker has been relatively quiet on the electric vehicle front.
Its new partnership with Tesla will undoubtedly help it make up lost ground
July 17, 2010
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid begins testing in Quebec
A new era in sustainable mobility began real-world tests in Quebec, as Toyota Canada delivered a Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid (Prius PHV) to its Quebec provincial partners at a ceremony on July 14th, 2010.
To mark the occasion, provincial partnership representatives were on hand to officially “plug-in” to the future and deliver the Prius PHV to Quebec. Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife Nathalie Normandeau, Rector and Vice-Rector of Universite Laval, Denis Briere and Eric Bauce, Hydro Quebec’s Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Government Affairs Pierre-Luc Desgagne and Toyota Canada’s Managing Director Stephen Beatty, were all present for the delivery at Universite Laval’s campus.
Quebec partners will share the data collected by their Prius PHV, which will be fitted with telematics equipment to record vehicle and hybrid system performance.
“Today, I am proud to help welcome the first Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid to Quebec. We intend to become an international leader in the field of electric vehicles by creating a climate that will help them flourish throughout the province”, said Minister Normandeau.
“Toyota is grateful to have such important partners join us as we work together to gather invaluable real-world impressions and feedback,” declared Mr. Beatty. “But we’re not surprised since Quebec has already shown great vision in planning for a more sustainable future for personal transportation.”
Based on the world’s most popular hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius PHV is designed to deliver a range of more than 20 km and top speed of almost 100 KPH on battery alone. In addition, an onboard Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine enables the vehicle to revert to hybrid mode and operate like a regular Prius – giving the vehicle the driving range and performance Canadians demand from today’s automobiles.
The Toyota Prius Plug-In achieves a fuel consumption of just 1.75L/100km and CO2 emissions of 41 g/km under specified driving conditions (combined electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle modes). Compared to the typical conventional midsize automobile, driving a Prius PHV for one year is expected to reduce one’s fuel consumption by 1,650 L (83%) and one’s CO2 emissions by almost 4,000 kg (4 tonnes).
Canada has been selected as one of the participating countries for Toyota’s global test of the Prius PHV. Five Prius PHV vehicles hit the roads this summer with 15 trial partners in 4 provinces in the first phase of a nationwide trial, including Quebec. This enables Toyota Canada to conduct technical and market acceptance tests unique to Canada’s driving experiences and climatic conditions. The real world trials will continue through the coming winter to assess Prius PHV performance under a range of driving and climate conditions. Moreover, feedback from the Canadian tests will help ensure the Prius PHV performs well in any country where drivers encounter cold temperatures, ice and snow.