Report: Toyota May Use Prius as Basis for Line of Hybrids
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Report: Toyota May Use Prius as Basis for Line of Hybrids
2 November 2006
Bloomberg reports that Toyota Motor may extend the Prius into a line of vehicles as the company tries to triple annual US sales of hybrids.
The US will account for more than half of the 1 million hybrid cars and light trucks Toyota plans to sell worldwide each year by early next decade, Jim Lentz, executive vice president of the company’s U.S. sales unit, told Bloomberg in an interview at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. Prius-based models might include a wagon and a smaller car, he said.
“For us to do 600,000, there will probably have to be Prius and derivatives of Prius that are selling in the neighborhood of 300,000 to 400,000...We don’t have any plans to do that right now, but that’s the direction that nameplate can go, because it is that strong.”
In 2005, Toyota sold 235,000 hybrids worldwide—about four times as many as Honda, which ranks second in such sales.
“To the extent they can leverage derivatives to help amortize investment costs for the hybrid system, they’d be crazy not to,” said Eric Noble, president of consulting firm Car Lab in Orange, California. “There is so much equity in the Prius name at this point, that would make sense, especially in the near term.”
A smaller “city car” based on the Prius would have even higher fuel efficiency and would fit with “a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,” Lentz said. “People also want to see more utility on the vehicle, so you could imagine something that’s a little more utility or crossover-based.”
Bloomberg reports that Toyota Motor may extend the Prius into a line of vehicles as the company tries to triple annual US sales of hybrids.
The US will account for more than half of the 1 million hybrid cars and light trucks Toyota plans to sell worldwide each year by early next decade, Jim Lentz, executive vice president of the company’s U.S. sales unit, told Bloomberg in an interview at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. Prius-based models might include a wagon and a smaller car, he said.
“For us to do 600,000, there will probably have to be Prius and derivatives of Prius that are selling in the neighborhood of 300,000 to 400,000...We don’t have any plans to do that right now, but that’s the direction that nameplate can go, because it is that strong.”
In 2005, Toyota sold 235,000 hybrids worldwide—about four times as many as Honda, which ranks second in such sales.
“To the extent they can leverage derivatives to help amortize investment costs for the hybrid system, they’d be crazy not to,” said Eric Noble, president of consulting firm Car Lab in Orange, California. “There is so much equity in the Prius name at this point, that would make sense, especially in the near term.”
A smaller “city car” based on the Prius would have even higher fuel efficiency and would fit with “a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,” Lentz said. “People also want to see more utility on the vehicle, so you could imagine something that’s a little more utility or crossover-based.”
i am a bit confused, does that mean they are tring to make more models (base off prius) for their whole lineup? personally i say be careful, the toyota lineup is getting very wide these days already. i would think if they do hybrid in every one of their model it would be a crazy thing already, forking out from prius, i hope it doesn't really conflict with their own existing models.
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i am a bit confused, does that mean they are tring to make more models (base off prius) for their whole lineup? personally i say be careful, the toyota lineup is getting very wide these days already. i would think if they do hybrid in every one of their model it would be a crazy thing already, forking out from prius, i hope it doesn't really conflict with their own existing models.
Im under the impression that the Prius car could become some sort of Brand with in a brand. In the same way SCION is somewhat a brand within Toyota. It could be niche vehicles like the SCION brand wearing a Prius badge. How many different outlets does Toyota have in Japan?? If they really want to go this route, Im sure they could find a way. But lets remember currently its just a thought.
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i would start a new brand thats dedicated to hybrids
thats actually my tactic in my marketing plan for the GM Sequel hydrogen fuel cell car
is to have GM start a brand thats just for fuel cell cars or take Saturn and change it into fuel cell cars only but then theres that baggage that saturn is carrying
thats actually my tactic in my marketing plan for the GM Sequel hydrogen fuel cell car
is to have GM start a brand thats just for fuel cell cars or take Saturn and change it into fuel cell cars only but then theres that baggage that saturn is carrying
Im under the impression that the Prius car could become some sort of Brand with in a brand. In the same way SCION is somewhat a brand within Toyota. It could be niche vehicles like the SCION brand wearing a Prius badge. How many different outlets does Toyota have in Japan?? If they really want to go this route, Im sure they could find a way. But lets remember currently its just a thought.
scion pulled it off mostly coz' it opened up a totally different market that doesn't collide with toyota at all, so they sell very well. but with the hybrid families, it might be a bit harder (especially when they already have camry and highlander hybrid.
just to be safe i guess. look at GM, they have tons of brands and tons of cars, but they are basically killing each other
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i am a bit confused, does that mean they are tring to make more models (base off prius) for their whole lineup? personally i say be careful, the toyota lineup is getting very wide these days already. i would think if they do hybrid in every one of their model it would be a crazy thing already, forking out from prius, i hope it doesn't really conflict with their own existing models.
BMW wants a convertible (which we have now), a longer wagon, a trucklet (sorta like the 2-dr RAV4) etc etc.
Could that be what Toyota means? e.g. a Prius Plus, a Prius Grande, Prius roadster LOL funny.
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