I'm Surprised no one has posted this yet:

http://toyota.pod.tv/jp/tech/environ...riving_300.wmv

Here are the specs taken from http://www.plugsandcars.blogspot.com/

Main Specifications of Toyota Plug-in HV
Vehicle Name TOYOTA Plug-in HV
Length / Width / Height 4,445 / 1,725 / 1,490mm
Weight 1,360kg
Seating capacity 5 persons
Performance in
electric vehicle mode Cruising range 13km in the 10-15 Japanese test cycle
Maximum vehicle speed 100km/h
Engine Displacement 1,496cc
Maximum output 56kW(76PS) / 5,000rpm
Maximum torque 110N-m (11.2kg-m) / 4,000rpm
Motor Type AC synchronous motor
Maximum output 50kW(68PS) / 1,200 — 1,540rpm
Maximum torque 400N-m(40.8kg-m) / 0 — 1,200rpm
Secondary battery Type Nickel-metal hydride
Capacity 13Ah (6.5Ah x 2)
Rated voltage 202V
Overall system Maximum output* 100kW (136PS)
Voltage 202 — 500V
Battery charging Power source Household electrical power
Charging time 1 — 1.5hrs (200V), 3 — 4hrs (100V)
*Based on TMC calculations; output that the system can achieve using engine power and electric motor power (electric motor power is dependent on battery power)


Things I see, the plug connector is the Yazaki connector they originally used on the Rav4 EV before they went to the inductive charging. If they actually ever product it this is great news because this doesn't limit you to a 120 volt outlet, you have the option to charge faster on 240. The only issue is with national electric code there is a stipulation to charge with nothing special on up to a 20 amp 120 volt outlet, but anything higher and you have a whole slew of specifications you have to meet such as no power until the connection is made, no exposed connections, GFCI must be integrated etc. The Yazaki connector would cover all of that.

I think I'd sell my Civic for one, maybe a bit more battery capacity though.

 

Thanks for posting this!

A couple of things really caught my eye.

1. The weight difference b/w the '07 and the specs listed is significant.
2. The mileage range seems disappointing

With the decreased weight I would think the range would be a bit greater than listed. Your mileage may vary, of course, but maybe I am too optimistic about how far an EV vehicle should go....

 

July 25, 2007 — By Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press

TOKYO -- Toyota already dominates the hybrid market with more than a million of the vehicles sold over the past decade. Now, it has developed a new type of hybrid that plugs into a home socket for a longer ride as an electric car, raising the stakes in the race to develop the vehicles.

The Toyota Plug-in HV received government approval Wednesday to run on public roads for tests -- the first time a manufacturer has received such certification in Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. said. Toyota plans tests for the U.S. and Europe.

Other major automakers like General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co are developing plug-in hybrids, whose batteries can be recharged via a standard wall outlet.

Like most hybrids now on sale, which are powered by electric motors and gasoline engines, the new Toyota model also gets recharged by converting energy from braking and when the wheels spin. The advantage of the plug-in is that it runs longer on electricity than regular hybrids.

It is widely thought that hybrid vehicles can help reduce global warming because they have better mileage than a comparable gas engine vehicle.

Masatami Takimoto, the Toyota executive in charge of technology, declined to say when Toyota will bring a plug-in hybrid to market. Innovation in battery technology is needed, he said.

"We still need some time," he said.

The Plug-in HV displayed Wednesday runs on the same nickel metal hydride battery as the Prius and has a cruising range of 13 kilometers (8 miles) on electricity. Takimoto said tests will help in deciding the range consumers want, as well as gather information about emissions and fuel efficiency.

The maximum speed of Plug-in HV is 100 kph (62 mph) as an electric vehicle. The batteries require about 1.5 hours to recharge at 200 volts and three or four hours at 100 volts, and the company recommends recharging overnight when power costs are cheaper in Japan.

In a short test-ride for reporters after the news conference, the vehicle zoomed along a course as a quiet electric car as long as the driver didn't accelerate too quickly. But when the driver suddenly stepped on the gas pedal, the car effortlessly switched on its gas engine to keep the ride going smoothly.

The more common hybrids such as Toyota's Prius have a cruising range of 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) as an electric vehicle, according to Toyota.

Mass production of plug-ins is so far being held back by costs and battery technology that limit the vehicles' range. Manufacturers are racing to bring the technology to market as consumers seek alternatives to traditional engines and high gasoline prices.

Masanao Ozaki, an expert who writes about energy and the environment, said it is still unclear which automaker may be ahead in plug-in hybrids, and the range for Toyota's plug-in was too short to be a practical option.

"The regular hybrid may even be better for the environment," he said in a telephone interview. "The advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that it uses electricity from homes through a regular outlet. But utilities companies predominantly use fossil fuels to produce electricity for homes."

Toyota, which introduced the Prius in 1997, has the advantage of 10 years of experience in selling hybrid technology. It has set a target of selling a million hybrids a year sometime after 2010.

General Motors is developing the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, and says it hopes its plug-ins can reach showrooms by 2010.

Earlier this month, Ford announced a partnership with Southern California Edison to test rechargeable hybrid vehicles and hasten mass production of plug-in hybrids. Ford has been testing plug-in hybrids based on the Escape sport-utility vehicle, for one, but has not said when it plans to start mass producing them.

Source: Associated Press

 

UCs to test 2 PHEV priuses (prii?):

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...AGJPR75VB1.DTL

 

First, it's not an EV. It's a hybrid. Please do not confuse the issue by calling it an EV.

It is thought to be an experiment to test what, if any, "gotchas" there are re operation of a plug-in LiIon car. The LiIon battery was not ready for testing, so they used two NiMH Prius batteries to simulate the capacity of the LiIon one they are developing. They put them in a current Prius body. They need to get approval in Japan to test any car on the public roads, hence this action.

It's not significantly different in weight from the current car. It's 2992 lbs, and my car (2007) is 2943 lbs. The extra weight can be discounted by the extra battery pack.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a production car. It's a test vehicle only. If and only if a production vehicle is made, it will be significantly different from what you see here. For one thing, it will use a new body design, will probably use more aluminum (be lighter), will use a different way to "plug in", and will be marketed by more than a technical note on the internet.

All that being said and understood, my first reaction was "what possible use would a 13 km range be?" On further consideration, it's a hybrid, not an EV, so the larger battery pack/greater electric use would significantly improve fuel economy. Not to mention the extra energy that can be added by plugging it in. Even if they find the LiIon battery they want to put in it is not practical, I would buy one with the double pack NiMH battery, as long as they don't loose too much cargo room. There is a lot of "wasted" space under the hatch floor in the current vehicle that could be used for more battery.

 

yeah it's about 30kg heavier than the Prius here (at least as listed in the canadian brochure)