Bercasio

iTrader: (1)

Not sure if this is a repost, but I was on the Toyota North American Press website checking out the pics of the New Camry Hybrid. I came across one picture that for whatever reason did not come to think about. And that was the location of the battery pack for the hybrid and the size. First off I do not see what is the reason for the rear seats to fold down(other than maintanance purposes). Because this battery pack seems to be located behind the rear seats and is quite huge!!! Takes up more than half its' opening. Then again for crumple zone purposes, especially a hybrid pack there is really no other location, otherwise let's go back in the day of Ford's infamous exploding gas tank. I just thought Toyota would have come up with a more compact version of the battery by now, as it takes away the versatility and added trunk space when folding the rear seats..... ......Now I am curious as to how the placement is on the coming GS450h and LS600hL? Even though there is no rear folding seats but a gas tank, will they be in a special compartment under the rear seat like the RX400h? Or a special compartment in the trunk? Maybe beside the spare tire? Hope this is not exposed, which I highly doubt in their luxury lineups. It kinda ruins the factory stealth image, as it did in the Camry....

TheRupp

Less space is the price you pay for double the fuel economy, I suppose

Bercasio

iTrader: (1)

If that is the case this battery better be as light as a feather....yeah right! Must weigh a ton! Come to think of it, the lighter it is the more fuel effecient it would "potentially" be? But that is not the case, what about when there is passengers in the rear? How does that level off? In terms of suspension and of coarse the fuel effeciency?....HMMMM?????...

spwolf

actually, FWD vehicles usually have pretty bad front weight - usually 60:40, which is really not good for handling performance. So putting the battery at back actually helps a lot.

And more battery you have, better performance and mpg you get. So you really want to have HUGE battery :-).
But, knowing how big is my Prius battery, it is not that large at all. It just looks like that from that tiny pic on the website.

Battery is not exposed in camry, they exposed it on the picture so you can see it :-).

Faraaz23

Yea, i can't think of any fwd sedan in the world that has a 50:50 weight distribution, putting the battery in the back will help even it out its front-heavy, nose plowing characteristics.

LexFather

Even though Lexus is at the forefront with this tech, its all VERY NEW!! So Lexus is learning and is also limited by the technology we have available.

Like computers and every other tech, Batteries will continue to get not just smaller but MORE POWERFUL.

We are just at the beginning stages of hybrids. By 2020, people will laugh at how primitive the first hybrids are.

Trexus

By 2020 people will probably be saying, "Hybrids? How primitive." We'll probably be using hydrogen and hopefully using it efficiently and to it's full potential. We'll have to wait and see, fourteen more years.