AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Toyota to up production of Hybrid vehicles to 300,000 by 2005

According to Battery and EV technology News, a newsletter dedicated to hybrid and electric vehicles. Toyota announced that it would produce 300,000 hybrid vehicles by 2005. It's not clear from the context of the article whether this is cumulative production or a yearly production volume. Even if it is cumulative production, when coupled with recent announcements by Ford and General Motors that hybrid plans have been downscaled, it means that in the efficiencies that come with the experience curve, Toyota is way ahead. I haven't had much time to work on my mini-review of the 2004 Prius, put I can tell you that what makes that car so impressive is the progress over the 2001 Prius that I looked at earlier. The "brake-by-wire" electronic regenerative braking is much better than before, so smooth you can't tell anything fancy is going on. The electronic steering is faultless (unlike that of the Saturns.) The car is quiet, solid and responsive. There is nothing that keeps this vehicle from being considered as a legitimate mainstream family car except for uncertainty about long-term liability.

Fast forward to 2006, when the domestic makers have their first generation hybrids out, even if the Domestic models are good, their reliability will be untested. Toyota will have a track record of reliability and will have learned lots of lessons from making a half million or more hybrids already.






: "Toyota"