Next Generation Toyota Prius To Go Li-Ion, Might Get All-Wheel Drive
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When the next-generation Toyota Prius comes to market sometime in 2016 after delays, you will have a choice of battery pack and possibly two driveline options.
Speaking with Automotive News at Toyota’s world headquarters, Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of powertrain development said a low-cost nickel-metal hydride battery will be the base storage option with a lithium ion battery pack available as well.
This will be the first time the Prius is available with lithium ion electricity storage. There were no details available on the benefit of the lithium ion pack over its cheaper counterpart, though longer all-electric range and weight savings are likely.
Also, Toyota is considering giving the next-generation Prius all-wheel drive.
“I think we will possibly do it,” said Saga.
When the next-generation Toyota Prius comes to market sometime in 2016 after delays, you will have a choice of battery pack and possibly two driveline options.
Speaking with Automotive News at Toyota’s world headquarters, Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of powertrain development said a low-cost nickel-metal hydride battery will be the base storage option with a lithium ion battery pack available as well.
This will be the first time the Prius is available with lithium ion electricity storage. There were no details available on the benefit of the lithium ion pack over its cheaper counterpart, though longer all-electric range and weight savings are likely.
Also, Toyota is considering giving the next-generation Prius all-wheel drive.
“I think we will possibly do it,” said Saga.
Of course, these are all rumours until the real car and real specs are introduced some time next year.
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I think its a mistake for Toyota to give customers the option of "battery pack". It's going to make the buying process more complicated for them than it needs to be. If there is a difference of MPG between the lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries, then they could offer the two different models based on if you want to spend more and get more MPG. But if they're identical or close to identical in MPG, it's going to complicate things. Especially when the lithium-ion is clearly going to be the more expensive option.
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Originally Posted by Lex2InfiN
Especially when the lithium-ion is clearly going to be the more expensive option.
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I think its a mistake for Toyota to give customers the option of "battery pack". It's going to make the buying process more complicated for them than it needs to be. If there is a difference of MPG between the lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries, then they could offer the two different models based on if you want to spend more and get more MPG. But if they're identical or close to identical in MPG, it's going to complicate things. Especially when the lithium-ion is clearly going to be the more expensive option.
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Sometimes though having too many choices can be confusing to customers. Especially when the distinction between the two choices is unclear. The Li-Ion battery option should certainly be the loaded option and bundled with other goodies, as suggested in this thread.
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In Japan, Prius v has 7 seat option which has lion battery between the front seats.
In NX, they said new nimh battery is 88lbs... so not much weight to be saved, maybe 40lbs? That is if they manage to cool it with air and not water... if it is water cooled then it will have more hardware than Nimh model so weight might end up being the same.
Lions can output more hp for same battery size, so they could get extra 10-15hp - but thats really not much and not something you can advertise. Usually they put slightly smaller battery with same output and lower costs.
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This is the first time for Prius, but not for Prius family.
Prius v in Japan has been offering li-ion since it was released.
Nickel for 5 seater and li-ion for 7 seater.
Same power and same fuel economy.
Link (in Japanese): http://toyota.jp/priusalpha/001_p_003/spec/spec/
EDIT: Oops. I was too late. It already has been mentioned above ><
Prius v in Japan has been offering li-ion since it was released.
Nickel for 5 seater and li-ion for 7 seater.
Same power and same fuel economy.
Link (in Japanese): http://toyota.jp/priusalpha/001_p_003/spec/spec/
EDIT: Oops. I was too late. It already has been mentioned above ><
Last edited by balMaster; 07-16-14 at 01:16 PM.
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This is the first time I'm hearing of a delay? 2016 now? The new Prius was slated as a 2015 model. The current one now in its 5th year being pushed to 6? I guess it's not too big of a deal considering it's the dominant hybrid. I was anxious for a new one though.
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from march 2015 to sept 2015 i guess, at least thats what the rumor said.
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Nope, not even the first time for Prius. The Prius Plugin has been available exclusively with a 4.4 kWh Li-ion pack since its release in 2011. When my parents were briefly considering one, I pushed them towards the PHV for exactly this reason.
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Was supposed to come out next spring
A new report indicates the launch of the next generation Prius has been delayed because a Toyota executive didn't like the original design.
The all-new Prius was originally scheduled to enter production in the spring of 2015 but now it's programmed to reach the assembly line approximately a year from now. The significant delay has to do with an unexpected redesign after Toyota's global research & development chief Mitsuhisa Kato was not satisfied with the work of chief engineer Koji Toyoshima.
Aside from the design issue, Kato mentioned other problems led to the delay but he refused to go into details. However, several months ago we heard Toyota decided to push back the launch until December 2015 to make sure all chassis and body issues are fixed.
Codenamed 690A, the new Prius will use microchips and microcontrollers tested in the TS040 HYBRID and will likely be available with both nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries, with the latter being more expensive and providing a higher range. Toyota powertrain boss Koei Saga previously stated the possibility of an optional all-wheel drive system while the thermal efficiency of the gasoline engine will be increased from 38.5 percent to more than 40 percent.
The 2016 Prius will ride on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) and is expected to lose about 20 percent of its weight and adopt a lower center of gravity while fuel economy will be boosted between 8 to 10 percent.
A full reveal will likely occur in the first half of 2015, with production slated to kick off in Japan before the year's end.
A new report indicates the launch of the next generation Prius has been delayed because a Toyota executive didn't like the original design.
The all-new Prius was originally scheduled to enter production in the spring of 2015 but now it's programmed to reach the assembly line approximately a year from now. The significant delay has to do with an unexpected redesign after Toyota's global research & development chief Mitsuhisa Kato was not satisfied with the work of chief engineer Koji Toyoshima.
Aside from the design issue, Kato mentioned other problems led to the delay but he refused to go into details. However, several months ago we heard Toyota decided to push back the launch until December 2015 to make sure all chassis and body issues are fixed.
Codenamed 690A, the new Prius will use microchips and microcontrollers tested in the TS040 HYBRID and will likely be available with both nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries, with the latter being more expensive and providing a higher range. Toyota powertrain boss Koei Saga previously stated the possibility of an optional all-wheel drive system while the thermal efficiency of the gasoline engine will be increased from 38.5 percent to more than 40 percent.
The 2016 Prius will ride on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) and is expected to lose about 20 percent of its weight and adopt a lower center of gravity while fuel economy will be boosted between 8 to 10 percent.
A full reveal will likely occur in the first half of 2015, with production slated to kick off in Japan before the year's end.
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Shouldn't all of these be under one 2015 Toyota Prius thread?
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ota-prius.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...s-mileage.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...prius-pix.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ota-prius.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...s-mileage.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...prius-pix.html
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