FastMotoring Motor News In Speed

According to Toyota today, Toyota’s sales of hybrid vehicles have passed the four-million mark globally. The milestone, which includes Lexus hybrids, was achieved in late April with the latest million being sold in just 14 months.  Moreover, the Prius family contributing more than 2.8 million units.

Global demand for Toyota’s hybrid vehicles is accelerating rapidly with more than 425,000 sold in the first four months of 2012 – more than two-thirds of last year’s total. So far this year, hybrid vehicles have accounted for 15 per cent of Toyota’s global vehicles sales. This puts Toyota on track to sell more than one million hybrid vehicles in a year for the first time in its history.

Toyota in Japan calculates that its worldwide sales of hybrid vehicles since 1997 have contributed greatly to the reduction of CO2 emissions which are considered to be a cause of global warning.

It says those vehicles have generated approximately 26 million fewer tons* of CO2 than would have been produced by petrol-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance.

After releasing its first hybrid vehicles in Japan in 1997, Toyota took almost 10 years to post the first one million sales.  The second million was sold in two years and three months, and the third million in just 18 months. The third million milestone was reached in February last year.

*Toyota Motor Corporation calculation based on the number of registered vehicles x distance travelled x fuel costs (actually fuel efficiency in each country) x C02 conversion factor.

This is the future! Toyota has just revealed the all-new Toyota RAV4 electric vehicle at the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles. The Toyota RAV4 EV has an expected driving range rating of approximately 160km and charging time of approximately six hours on a 240V/40A charger.

Accordingly, the Toyota RAV4 EV’s driving performance, dynamics and cargo capacity are equal to or exceed the petrol-powered RAV4 V6. Just like the Nissan Leaf claimed that its driving experience and performance is close to power of 3.5-litre V6 engine.

The RAV4 EV is the product of a unique collaboration with Tesla Motors spurred by Akio Toyoda, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation.  It is about 22 months after the project announcement, Toyota and Tesla engineers have succeeded in bringing the vehicle to market.

The RAV4 EV combines a Tesla designed and produced battery and electric powertrain with Toyota’s popular SUV. The front-wheel-drive RAV4 EV allows drivers to select from two distinctly different drive modes, Sport and Normal. In Sport mode, the vehicle reaches 60 mph (96.6 km/h) in just 7.0 seconds and has a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Normal mode achieves 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds with a maximum speed of about 137 km/h (85mph). Maximum output from the electric powertrain is 115kW @ 2,800 rpm.

Toyota RAV4 EV offers an exceptionally smooth, quiet ride and comfortable handling due in part to its low coefficient of drag and low centre of gravity. At 0.30 Cd, RAV4 EV achieves the lowest coefficient of drag of any SUV in the world.

Compared with the petrol-powered RAV4, Toyota re-styled the front bumper, upper and lower grille, side mirrors, rear spoiler and under body design to provide optimum air flow around the vehicle. The RAV4 EV’s battery pack is mounted low and to the centre of the vehicle, contributing to a more sedan-like ride.

The vehicle will go on sale in the United States late in coming summer.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV

Currently, Toyota sources batteries, inverters and motors solely from their home country in Japan for all its hybrid vehicles, including the most popular Toyota Prius.

After the Massive Japan Earthquake & Tsunami, it has shown the vulnerability of the decision to put all of your eggs in one basket by most of the Japanese Automakers.

As a result, Toyota aims to make hybrid drivetrain components in the United States and elsewhere overseas within 4 years.

“Right now, hybrid component production is too biased toward Japan,” Shinichi Sasaki, Toyota’s executive vice president in charge of global purchasing, told Automotive News in North America.

He said the new strategy calls for making the components at global production centres that will ship the parts to hybrid vehicle assembly plants worldwide. The components likely would be built in North America and other markets such as Southeast Asia and China, he predicted.

Photo Gallery: Toyota Hybrids

Today, UMW Toyota Motor has announced and set the on-the-road price for the Toyota Prius at RM139,000 in Peninsular Malaysia, which is about RM35,000 lower than the original RM175,000 tag previously. The price for the Prius in Sabah and Sarawak is set at RM141,000. The changes in the prices are with effect from today – 28 October 2010.

UMW Toyota Motor president Kuah Kock Heng said the company welcomed the recent National Budget announcement by the government on the extension and enhancement of tax incentives for hybrid cars effective from Jan 1, 2011 until Dec 31, 2011.

Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it will begin manufacturing the Toyota Prius hybrid in Thailand starting from November 2010. The car will be built at Toyota’s Gateway Plant, near the Thai capital Bangkok, where it also makes the Corolla, Camry, Camry Hybrid and other models. Thailand will be the third country to make Toyota’s popular hybrid after Japan and China.

The company said the decision was made as part of its effort to further popularize hybrid vehicles worldwide. Personally, I think one of the reasons that expanding the production aboard are due to financial reasons that possibly drive the car price more competitive especially in Thailand.

Toyota Motor Thailand Co. President Kyoichi Tanada commented: “With its excellent environmental performance, design and advanced technologies, we hope the Prius provides even more people in Thailand with the joys of driving.”

Photo Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius