During a dealer meeting held in Las Vegas on June 29th, Toyota announced a launch date of the highly anticipated Scion IQ city car with a fully electric drivetrain. While knowledge of this compact hatchback has been making the rounds of the internet for a few months, up til now Toyota had declined to offer a release date. The IQ city car has been on sale since 2008 in Japan, and has impressed critics with its novel packaging (3+1 occupants within a footprint similar to the Smart ForTwo) and refined driving characteristics for its class. With a 50 mile projected range however, the electrified Scion iQ faces stiff competition from the 80-mile Nissan Leaf, and 85 miler Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It should be noted that contemporary tests of both those cars indicate that the stated range of an EV is a very flexible figure, and highly subjective to variance in driver and environment. Nevertheless, without the MSRP it remains to be seen how Scion will position the diminutive iQ against the rest of the class.

Bigger questions concern packaging the electric drivetrain such that the iQ’s killer app of 4 seat space in a 2 seater’s shadow arrive intact. With Toyota’s recent announcement of its technology partnership with Tesla Motors, it is likely the Scion EV will bear fruit from the early stages of this relationship.The most novel aspect of the iQ (at least in gasoline form) is the “3+1” seating arrangement. While some media characterize the iQ as a 4 seater, the 4th seat is actually quite small and designed for a small child or enhanced luggage space. Through an innovative design process at Toyota’s ED2 European design center, engineers and designers threw away preconceived notions of how to layout an interior. The result is a world first for an under 3 meter car, and so highly regarded it won a car of the year award in Japan in 2008.

The Scion iQ will also arrive with a RAV4 EV sibling, as well as the highly anticipated plug-in Prius. The RAV4 will provide balance to Toyota’s nascent EV lineup, as it is based off the highly successful and roomy crossover. Between the two EVs, the plug-in Prius will likely be most sought after advanced EV tech vehicle in the Toyota portfolio for 2012. Forums have been espousing DIY techniques to create plug in Priuses for several years, so it is likely Toyota will not have left anything to change with their fully engineered and realized model.

While Nissan can claim “first” in the EV race, Toyota is bringing a gun to the knife fight with its new models. Hopefully the Scion will provide a viable alternative for consumers looking for an EV to round out a home fleet of vehicles.

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Have you ever talked to your car, or given it a name? Most people have probably known someone who nicknamed their Beetle “Daisy” or call their old beater by a funny nickname. Most of us have some sort of presence in social networking too, with accounts on Facebook and Twitter or other platforms of the social networking diaspora. Toyota has taken the initiative to introduce social networking for Toyota owners in a project called “Toyota Friend.”In a strategic alliance with San Francisco-based Salesforce.com and computing giant Microsoft, Toyota intends to build a private social network for Toyota customers and their cars. Intended to roll out in Japan, the network will be built around the latest Prius Plug-in hybrids and the upcoming pure electric Toyotas scheduled for 2012 release.

 

Similar to a tweet on Twitter, Toyota Friend will keep owners and cars connected with exchanges about the status of an electric charge or other critical conditions. The messages would be sent to owners phones, and could expand to their Twitter, Facebook or email accounts as well – thereby bringing family and friends and other Toyota cars into the fold. Toyota has said the exchanges could be kept private as well.

The Toyota Friend social network will be available as an app for smartphones, tablets as well as in browser windows on computers. A demonstration in a Tokyo showroom in this past May had an owner of a Prius Plug-in being tweeted by his car about the status of charging. When the owner plugged in his car to recharge it, the car replied, “The charge will be completed by 2:15 a.m. Is that OK? See you tomorrow.” Other features Toyota has discussed include your car telling you when it is due for service, and linking up to a dealer to schedule an appointment automatically.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda has been talking up his personal connection with the cars he races around the track, and wants the dialog familiar to enthusiasts to grow and become an important part of the brand “I hope cars can become friends with their users, and customers will see Toyota as a friend,” he said.

Bolstering the discussion, Salesforce.com Chief Executive Marc Benioff said: “I want a relationship with my car in the same way we have a relationship with our friends on social networks.” The information gathered from cars adds to the social networking dialog fast becoming an integral part of our lives.

In the quest for loyal customers, manufacturers have jumped head first into the new world of telematics – the use of internet-related technologies in cars. Chevrolet and Nissan have both rolled out apps that work with their EVs to better educate the driver about the needs of their vehicle’s batteries and help locating charging stations. Toyota’s Friend network takes the strategy one step further by personalizing the experience.

What could be next? Certainly more companies could introduce their own networks. Indeed the early Web 2.0 was littered with social media sites that have since quietly folded or have given up to the ubiquity of Facebook and Twitter. It is possible that separate manufacturer’s networks might merge into one more cohesive automotive community, but of course that would depend on all automaker’s willingness to collaborate more closely with each other. Considering the amount of energy and affection people put into their cars, having them finally be able to communicate back to us will likely burnish their indelible impact into our lives.

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Late in 2011, Toyota Motor Corp will launch a hybrid sub-compact and broaden its electric car line-up. The vehicle will be available for 1.5 million yen, or $15,760. Government tax breaks, subsidies on cleaner technology, and an increasing demand for gasoline-electric vehicles have promoted EVs in Japan greatly.  Toyota may have future plans to produce the new hybrid model in France as well, to cater to a European market.

According to a Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, the new hybrid compact by Toyota will use the platform and engine of the Yaris sub-compact, which is likely to be fully remodeled before launch in order to compete with the fuel efficiency and cost competitiveness of the Prius.

Dominant automakers Honda Motor Company and Toyota have reduced prices on their premier hybrid cars recently. The price of Toyota’s Prius has been lowered to 2.05 million yen and that of Honda’s Insight has been lowered to 1.89 million yen.

The month of April listed Honda’s Insight, the first hybrid car, on top of the best selling cars list. However, in May, Toyota’s new Prius replaced the Insight, and became the No.1 hybrid car in the Japanese market.

The Toyota sub-compact hybrid, which is yet to be launched, would be a tough contender to some of the upcoming small hybrid cars like Honda’s Fit Compact and the Honda CR-Z Hybrid.  It has been reported by The Daily that the automaker is likely to raise its daily production target in Japan. This will increase production to about 13,500 units in September and around 13,700 in October.

Why the sub?

Toyota and Honda have introduced sub-compact hybrid models to introduce a fresh alternative to existing hybrid cars (which were mostly SUVs) in the last couple of years. These SUV hybrids are more fuel-efficient (15 to 20 percent more than their counterparts). However, the mpg of these models ranges from the late teens to the early twenties.

The new subcompact hybrids are likely to be marked high in the fuel economy rankings, possibly at the 50 mpg mark or higher. Moreover, their prices are slated to be comparatively lower than the prices of current hybrid cars.

If the past is any predictor, car enthusiasts and organizations such as CalCars will begin upgrading these new hybrids into plug-in models as soon as they are released.  It remains to be seen, however, if and when they are brought to the American market, whether they will be adopted on a mass scale by an increasingly price-conscious and choosy consumer.

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In an excellent preview of what we can expect out of the next generation Toyota Prius, New York Times editor, Jerry Garret, takes the 2010 model out for a spin.

Before getting into his personal hands-on experience with the machine, he first mentions the “iconic” status of its predecessor:  asking the almost rhetorical question of, how can something that is a) comfortably bigger, b) faster, c) possessing an upgraded battery pack, and d) more energy efficient than a vehicle that already had so many admirers NOT be successful?

While Toyota puts the economy rating of its new Prius at 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway, Jerry is able to squeeze out an amazing 69 mpg in stop-and-go traffic.  He explains how a method he another auto journalist used called “pulse-and-glide” is especially well suited to maximizing the efficiency of this new model.   The new Prius also features several dashboard displays continuously giving you feedback on your fuel-consumption behavior.

The vehicle also offers 3 driving modes that are selectable:  EV for electric only;  ECO for economy; and POWER for brute force. The 2010 model utilizes a 98-horsepower gasoline engine and a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack.

The article also goes on to mention all the differences between the 2009 and 2010 models, from its upgraded Hybrid Synergy Drive system, to its improved aerodynamics, despite being 122 pounds heavier, and much, much more.  This review can’t help but get you excited if you’re already anticipating Toyota’s Hybrid 2.0.

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EDF, along with its subsidiary, Electricité de Strasbourg, will also be setting up hundreds of charging stations in parking lots, partner locations, public roads, and users’ homes.  A major goal of the Toyota-EDF partnership is to promote awareness and acceptance of a broad roll-out of electric vehicles in the minds of consumers.

Similar projects in Japan, the UK, and the United States are also in the works by the car company.

To read more about the recent announcement at Gizmag, click here.

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Although the company has not committed to a formal timeline, Piaggio Group Americas’ CEO has suggested in interviews that this highway-legal scooter is expected to be on the road relatively soon.

The new plug-in will be a modified version of the company’s Piaggio’s MP3 500. According to CEO Paul Timoni, the plug-in scooter will get up to 140 mpg, have an all-electric range of 40 miles per charge , and will be priced between $8000 and $9000.  There is also a  European version slated to be released later this year.

The design will utilize a 125cc combustion engine combined with an electric motor, and can be expected to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds.  The batery can also be charged on the go through regenerative braking.

The release date of Piaggio’s hybrid scooter would put it ahead of GM’s Chevy Volt by a couple months,  and it might coincide with the release of Toyota’s upcoming plug-in hybrid.

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Speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, James Lentz, the president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., announced that Toyota would release its version of a plug-in hybrid towards the end of 2009, a year ahead of schedule. This would put its release date ahead of the Chevrolet Volt, perhaps giving it a first-entrant advantage over the American counterpart.

Toyota plans on releasing only about 500 vehicles for commercial customers at the outset, with 150 of those plug-ins destined for the United States.   G.M. plans to release its Volt plug-in to the public at large by the end of 2010.   With this strategy, it is reasonable to speculate that Toyota is looking for real-world feedback from its first consumers, giving the company the opportunity to improve and perfect its product by the time the Chevrolet Volt is released.

The plug-ins will be powered by lithium-ion batteries.

To read more about the announcement, read the original article.

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