Next Toyota Prius to get electric all-wheel drive

George Kennedy — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:14:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Hatchback, Toyota

If rumors are to be believed, big changes are in store for the next Toyota Prius. UK outlet Auto Express recently spoke with a Toyota engineer who leaked details concerning the development of the popular hybrid's successor. According to that engineer, "The next Prius will redefine the hybrid as we know it."

The forthcoming Prius will be constructed on a new C platform, good for a 70-kilogram (153-pound) reduction in weight. The car's current 1.8-liter engine will be modified, and the electric motor and power inverter will be downsized. But, according to the Auto Express source, it will deliver more power. It will also be more fuel efficient - which we kind of assumed - however, the source is claiming 90 miles per gallon fuel economy (on the UK cycle, we imagine, so something closer to 75 mpg here). If true, that's definitely impressive.

While the standard Prius will get these drivetrain changes, the plug-in version will remain largely the same. That said, both models will receive an electric motor that drives the rear wheels, as part of an e-4WD system. According to the source, Toyota would be, "targeting snowy areas" and said that the rear wheels will be driven at speeds "up to 37 mph." Interestingly enough, Toyota will stick with nickel-metal hydride battery for the Prius, with lithium-ion fitted for the plug-in model.

All of this new drivetrain technology is set to come with a change in design philosophy for the Prius. The wedge shape synonymous with the Prius will be ditched in favor of a sleeker design, moving the A-pillar backwards. This design is not supposed to effect aerodynamics or overall functionality.

It's hard to argue with the success of the Prius in its current design and drivetrain layout, but with many new hybrids nipping at the heels of the Prius' dominance, it seems like a good a time as any for Toyota to raise the bar once again for environmentally conscious driving.

Next Toyota Prius to get electric all-wheel drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota delays launch of third-generation Prius

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:49:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Technology, Toyota

According to Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Toyota is going to postpone the launch of its next generation Prius. Originally planned for fall 2008, the release has been pushed back to spring 2009. This will be the third generation of the popular hybrid-only model, and it was expected that we'd see the first use of lithium-ion batteries in this new model. Toyota, however, has apparently decided to stick with the nickel-metal hydrides, and delayed the launch of the new car until further development could be done on that system. Toyota's battery partner, Matsushita, could be partly to blame here, but officially Toyota says there is no delay. They maintain that the launch date was never announced and that when they feel everything is in place, the new car will appear. With or without the li-ions. The Prius is by far the best selling and most widely known hybrid on the market. Toyota sold 186,000 of them last year, and 313,000 hybrids overall.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]

Toyota delays launch of third-generation Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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