Next-gen Prius now official, uses solar panels to keep car cool

The very shoe-like 2010 Toyota Prius has made its official debut at this week's Detroit Auto Show. The company estimates it'll have a 50 MPG rating -- up from 46 MPG in the previous model -- and there's a bigger, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine for improved highway mileage. In addition to Power and Eco driving modes, EV Drive will let you run on battery alone for about a mile, which if nothing else should provide a little extra push for getting to the gas station when you've held off for too long. One of the coolest (literally) new features is the optional solar panels in the moonroof that will generate power for circulating air and keeping the interior temperature from going too high. If that's not enough, there's a remote-controlled A/C system that can run on battery alone and lets you set the temperature before you get in. Check out the read link for more specs and the full press release.

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 2010 prius, 2010Prius, detroit auto show, DetroitAutoShow, hybrid, prius, prius hybrid, PriusHybrid, solar, solar panels, SolarPanels, toyota ]

Video: Toyota unveils FT-EV concept, details plug-in Prius, you won't see either for awhile

While we were living large at CES in Las Vegas yesterday, Toyota's people were up in Detroit, working hard to amp up the crowd at the North American International Auto Show. The world's largest auto maker fulfilled promises by giving more information about an upcoming electric car, showing off a concept called the FT-EV. Based on the iQ ultra-compact, which is currently available in Japan in petrol-powered guise, the battery version has a range of just 50 miles, making it suitable only for those living in those most urban of suburbs. Hopefully it gains a bit more stamina before it (or something similar) goes into production in 2012. Toyota also gave some further information about its impending plug-in Prius, indicating that before the end of the year it will lease 500 prototypes to consumers to act as mobile beta testers prior to the full release of the car. Only 150 of those will be available in the States, though, so you can go ahead and leave "Install extra outlet in garage" low on your to-do list for another year or so


[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ft-ev, plug-in, plug-in hybrid, plug-in prius, Plug-inHybrid, Plug-inPrius, prius, toyota, toyota ft-ev, toyota prius, ToyotaFt-ev, ToyotaPrius ]

Noise-cancelling Toyota Crown zeroes out sounds at head height

As astutely pointed out by our friends at The Red Ferret Journal, it's a bit odd to see hybrid car makers cutting down on noise while electric car makers are looking to add it back in, but Toyota's silence isn't of the kill-a-biker sort. Toyota has worked internal noise-canceling into its new Crown hybrid, with microphones to pick up engine and road noise, and then speakers to blast out antiphase versions of those noises at head height. Toyota claims it can cut noise by around 5 to 8dB.

[ Via: TRFJ ]
[ Tag: crown,hybrid,noise cancelling,NoiseCancelling,toyota ]

Toyota to introduce plug-in hybrid for 2010, hybrid versions of all cars by 2029

Toyota continues to lead the silent race to efficient cars with plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid in 2010 that will use lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile, Toyota has been working with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co to develop batteries that will outperform lithium-ion batteries for its plans to introduce hybrid versions of every single car in its lineup between 2020 and 2029. If that seems too far away, the next generation Prius, due next year, will use NiMH batteries. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe told reporters in Tokyo that it's time to move past oil and get serious about electric power. "Our view is that oil production will peak in the near future. We need to develop power train(s) for alternative energy sources."

[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: fuel economy, FuelEconomy, hybrid, nimh, plug-in hybrid, plug-in-hybrid, plug-in-hybrids, Plug-inHybrid, toyota ]