xcel
12-08-2009, 10:31 AM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg While in LA, we saw the... ;) (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=244665)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2011_Prius-III_PHEV.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) - Dec. 8, 2009
2011 Prius-III PHEV-12/13 in the flesh – Cost unknown? FE... 50 mpgUS combined in charge sustaining mode ;)
The 2011 Toyota Prius PHEV made its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week.
Built specifically to support a global program that begins this month, the 2011 Prius PHEV is based on the third-generation 2010 Prius and expands Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive capability. As reported numerous times, the 2010 PHEV will include Toyota’s first generation Li-Ion pack that enables all-electric operation at speeds up to 62 mph. When fully charged, the vehicle is targeted to achieve a maximum electric-only range of approximately 13 miles. For longer distances, the 2011 Prius PHEV reverts to “hybrid mode” and operates like a regular Prius. This ability to utilize all-electric power for short trips or hybrid power for longer drives alleviates the issue of limited cruising range encountered with pure electric vehicles.
Beginning later this month, a total of 350 vehicles will begin delivery in Japan and Europe in support of model programs with business and government partners aimed at raising societal awareness of, and preparedness for, this important new technology.
Beginning early next year, 150 vehicles will start arriving in the U.S., where they will be placed in regional clusters with select partners for market/consumer analysis and technical demonstration.
On the technical side, the U.S. program aims to confirm, in a wide variety of real world applications, the overall performance of first-generation Li-Ion battery technology, while spurring the development of public-access charging station infrastructure.
All vehicles will be equipped with data retrieval devices which will monitor activities such as how often the vehicle is charged and when; whether the batteries are depleted or being topped off during charging; trip duration, all-EV driving range and combined mpg.
“This program is a necessary first step in societal preparation, in that it allows us the unique opportunity to inform, educate and prepare customers for the introduction of plug-in hybrid technology,” said Irv Miller, TMS group vice president, environmental and public affairs. “When these vehicles come to market, customers must understand what to expect and if this technology is the right fit for them.”
To assist with customer education, Toyota has launched a PHEV demonstration program website – Prius PHEV (www.priusphv.com). At the site, visitors can learn more about the technology, follow the program’s progress and, once the vehicles are deployed, track the performance of the demonstration program fleet. This transparent communication of vehicle performance and real world data will allow customers to make informed decisions when considering the purchase of a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
About that battery
The battery powering the Prius PHEV is the first Li-Ion drive-battery developed by Toyota and its joint venture battery production company, Panasonic Electric Vehicle Energy (PEVE). In early November, PEVE began producing the first of more than 500 Li-Ion batteries on a dedicated assembly line at its Teiho production facility in Japan.
PEVE is the world’s leading producer of NiMH batteries for automotive drive applications, having surpassed two million units in total production volume. Nickel-metal batteries are ideal for mass producing affordable conventional hybrid vehicles due to their low cost, excellent quality, high reliability and moderate-demand charge-sustaining operation. Li-Ion batteries however are more promising for pure electric and PHEV applications which require higher energy density to meet the higher demands of charge-depleting operation (large swings in charge/discharge). Although Li-Ion batteries are less expensive in terms of materials, they are more expensive than nickel-metal in terms of production costs.
This first-generation Li-Ion battery has undergone more than three years of coordinated field testing in Japan, North America and Europe in a wide variety of climatic environments and driving conditions. Using approximately 150 conventional hybrids (mostly Prius), the field test vehicles logged well over a million combined miles. In the end, the battery was deemed both reliable and durable, confirming that it could indeed be used in conventional hybrid applications in the future, depending on further developments in cost reduction.
The battery will now be placed into service in the 500 Prius PHEVs dedicated to Toyota’s global demonstration program which begins in December.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2011_Prius-III_PHEV.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) - Dec. 8, 2009
2011 Prius-III PHEV-12/13 in the flesh – Cost unknown? FE... 50 mpgUS combined in charge sustaining mode ;)
The 2011 Toyota Prius PHEV made its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week.
Built specifically to support a global program that begins this month, the 2011 Prius PHEV is based on the third-generation 2010 Prius and expands Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive capability. As reported numerous times, the 2010 PHEV will include Toyota’s first generation Li-Ion pack that enables all-electric operation at speeds up to 62 mph. When fully charged, the vehicle is targeted to achieve a maximum electric-only range of approximately 13 miles. For longer distances, the 2011 Prius PHEV reverts to “hybrid mode” and operates like a regular Prius. This ability to utilize all-electric power for short trips or hybrid power for longer drives alleviates the issue of limited cruising range encountered with pure electric vehicles.
Beginning later this month, a total of 350 vehicles will begin delivery in Japan and Europe in support of model programs with business and government partners aimed at raising societal awareness of, and preparedness for, this important new technology.
Beginning early next year, 150 vehicles will start arriving in the U.S., where they will be placed in regional clusters with select partners for market/consumer analysis and technical demonstration.
On the technical side, the U.S. program aims to confirm, in a wide variety of real world applications, the overall performance of first-generation Li-Ion battery technology, while spurring the development of public-access charging station infrastructure.
All vehicles will be equipped with data retrieval devices which will monitor activities such as how often the vehicle is charged and when; whether the batteries are depleted or being topped off during charging; trip duration, all-EV driving range and combined mpg.
“This program is a necessary first step in societal preparation, in that it allows us the unique opportunity to inform, educate and prepare customers for the introduction of plug-in hybrid technology,” said Irv Miller, TMS group vice president, environmental and public affairs. “When these vehicles come to market, customers must understand what to expect and if this technology is the right fit for them.”
To assist with customer education, Toyota has launched a PHEV demonstration program website – Prius PHEV (www.priusphv.com). At the site, visitors can learn more about the technology, follow the program’s progress and, once the vehicles are deployed, track the performance of the demonstration program fleet. This transparent communication of vehicle performance and real world data will allow customers to make informed decisions when considering the purchase of a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
About that battery
The battery powering the Prius PHEV is the first Li-Ion drive-battery developed by Toyota and its joint venture battery production company, Panasonic Electric Vehicle Energy (PEVE). In early November, PEVE began producing the first of more than 500 Li-Ion batteries on a dedicated assembly line at its Teiho production facility in Japan.
PEVE is the world’s leading producer of NiMH batteries for automotive drive applications, having surpassed two million units in total production volume. Nickel-metal batteries are ideal for mass producing affordable conventional hybrid vehicles due to their low cost, excellent quality, high reliability and moderate-demand charge-sustaining operation. Li-Ion batteries however are more promising for pure electric and PHEV applications which require higher energy density to meet the higher demands of charge-depleting operation (large swings in charge/discharge). Although Li-Ion batteries are less expensive in terms of materials, they are more expensive than nickel-metal in terms of production costs.
This first-generation Li-Ion battery has undergone more than three years of coordinated field testing in Japan, North America and Europe in a wide variety of climatic environments and driving conditions. Using approximately 150 conventional hybrids (mostly Prius), the field test vehicles logged well over a million combined miles. In the end, the battery was deemed both reliable and durable, confirming that it could indeed be used in conventional hybrid applications in the future, depending on further developments in cost reduction.
The battery will now be placed into service in the 500 Prius PHEVs dedicated to Toyota’s global demonstration program which begins in December.