http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyota/toyota-cutting-hybrid-costs/ (Thanks jalopnik.com)
I don't have much to say beyond the original article on this topic, but I believe it's an important movement/issue to bring up. If a company as large and forward thinking as Toyota is willing to stake so much on hybrid technology, I have to take it seriously. Hybrids have already proved themselves as great eco cars, but can they make every car better. I believe the answer is yes. It's just a matter of cost effectiveness. This push will develop hybrid technology more quickly, making it more efficient, more powerful, and cheaper. I would be fearful of hybrid abuse if this was being carried out by a company other than Toyota. At a less reasonable company, every vehicle might get a hybrid addition making them all more powerful with approximately the same or slightly better gas mileage, rather than replacing each vehicle in the line up with the same vehicle equipped with a one size smaller engine with hybrid technology.
The Lexus LS600h has got some interesting reviews(not all raving positive), but I believe this vehicle gives a real taste of combining hybrid technology into a platform not traditionally considered hybrid friendly. If the price was not unreasonably more than a LS460 (because of cheaper hybrid technology, rwd, and similar options), it could make a significantly better vehicle overall. (The gas mileage would be more competitive without the awd and the advances in hybrid technology would make it lighter and just plain better) At this point in hybrid technology the LS600 is a great achievement. The GS450h might be an even better example because of its V8 beating performance, from it's hybrid v6.
Current vehicles on the Toyota horizon are further evidence of this ultimate hybrid permeation. The new FT-SH, a successor of the Supra (here), pictured at the top of the post should be here in 2009 sporting a V6 with hybrid technology. This should make for a great car, that probably would have sported a non-hybrid V-8, based on the power evolution performance vehicles have followed for the last couple generations. (or a beefier twin turbo 6 cyl.) The high performance sports coup category has not been in the hybrid realm until recently. Thanks to the electric Tesla roadster and vehicles like this Toyota, these barriers will be gone.
I don't have much to say beyond the original article on this topic, but I believe it's an important movement/issue to bring up. If a company as large and forward thinking as Toyota is willing to stake so much on hybrid technology, I have to take it seriously. Hybrids have already proved themselves as great eco cars, but can they make every car better. I believe the answer is yes. It's just a matter of cost effectiveness. This push will develop hybrid technology more quickly, making it more efficient, more powerful, and cheaper. I would be fearful of hybrid abuse if this was being carried out by a company other than Toyota. At a less reasonable company, every vehicle might get a hybrid addition making them all more powerful with approximately the same or slightly better gas mileage, rather than replacing each vehicle in the line up with the same vehicle equipped with a one size smaller engine with hybrid technology.
The Lexus LS600h has got some interesting reviews(not all raving positive), but I believe this vehicle gives a real taste of combining hybrid technology into a platform not traditionally considered hybrid friendly. If the price was not unreasonably more than a LS460 (because of cheaper hybrid technology, rwd, and similar options), it could make a significantly better vehicle overall. (The gas mileage would be more competitive without the awd and the advances in hybrid technology would make it lighter and just plain better) At this point in hybrid technology the LS600 is a great achievement. The GS450h might be an even better example because of its V8 beating performance, from it's hybrid v6.
Current vehicles on the Toyota horizon are further evidence of this ultimate hybrid permeation. The new FT-SH, a successor of the Supra (here), pictured at the top of the post should be here in 2009 sporting a V6 with hybrid technology. This should make for a great car, that probably would have sported a non-hybrid V-8, based on the power evolution performance vehicles have followed for the last couple generations. (or a beefier twin turbo 6 cyl.) The high performance sports coup category has not been in the hybrid realm until recently. Thanks to the electric Tesla roadster and vehicles like this Toyota, these barriers will be gone.
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