Featured Threads Archive

Toyota City, Japan, May 20, 2016
―Toyota Motor Corporation is proud to announce that the cumulative figures for global sales of its hybrid vehicles reached 9.014 million units as of April 30, surpassing the 9 million unit mark1. This latest million-unit milestone was achieved in just nine months.

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Jeff Cobb's excellent source: April 2016 Dashboard

	Model	16_04	16_03	16_02	16_01
1	Prius Liftback	8923	8130	7169	6333
2	Ram Pickup Diesel	4382	4729	4153	3193
3	RAV4	3807	3073	2462	1973
4	Fusion Hybrid	2035	2057	1764	1373
5	Volt	1983	1865	1126	996
6	Camry Hybrid	1975	1746	1599	1256
7	Sonata	1788	1884	1588	964
8	Model S	1700	3000	1900	1300
9	Prius c	1676	2607	2263	1763
10	C-Max Hybrid	1621	1092	880	637
11	Model X	1500	1500	500	400
12	Fusion Energi	1331	1238	932	581
13	Prius v (lowercase v)	1322	1331	1112	1205
14	RX 400 / 450 h	899	886	752	790
15	i3*	814	332	248	182
16	Leaf	787	1246	930	755
17	Colorado Diesel	731	578	403	108
18	Avalon Hybrid	715	776	590	583
19	ES Hybrid	700	894	633	622
20	X5	655	313	345	181
21	MKZ	613	608	585	491
22	C-Max Energi	607	610	490	350
23	CT200h	577	972	762	622
24	Optima Hybrid	483	436	386	469
25	Highlander Hybrid	442	492	396	375
26	Spark	419	252	216	139
27	500e	372	373	195	217
28	Grand Cherokee Diesel	360	370	308	263
29	e-Golf	326	86	198	328
30	A3 Plug...

Source: Grading CAFE (Show #2017) on Autoline This Week

The CAFE standards are going through a two-year review, ending in April 2018, to determine how well technology and manufacturing are on track to meet the future standards. Expect to see some hard advocacy articles by pro and anti advocacy groups. Regardless, this podcast video provides an introduction.

Bob Wilson

Source: R.I.P. Cadillac ELR: what went wrong with luxury electric coupe?


The "$75,000" attracted my attention because I'm buying a BMW i3-REx that originally sold for about $52,000. Used, I'm getting it for $30,000 a year and a half later, an astonishing depreciation. But I don't want to see new BMW i3-REx following the path of the Cadillac ELR. Extreme depreciations follow 'orphan'...

Why Tesla scares German car makers so much This week's Faraday Future joke, and we make fun of The Verge as well Uber versus Apple is the coming battle Bad internet memes that need to go away Feds change rules making streets better - Second part Fuel Cell makers suddenly see wisdom in plug-ins

Read more about this episode on WhatDrives.Us

If you miss the original Honda Insight, here is your answer:


Source: The technology behind the riversimple hydrogen fuel cell car

• 11 hp fuel cell
• super capacitors
• carbon-fiber body

Yes, it is 'barking mad.' Still an interesting approach regardless of practicality. Just live on flat-land.

Bob Wilson

Full Article

Full Article

Automakers Should Market Electric Cars As Fun-To-Drive, Quiet, Responsive


Sounds like that's what Toyota is going with for the Gen 4.

2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class PHEV To Get Wireless Charging

Volvo's new 40 series small car concepts look phenomenal | The Verge
"The first car from the new 40 series is expected to go into production next year, with pure-electric and plug-in hybrid variants to come as well."
Who needs Tesla, when you can have this -

or this:

I recall coming back from the Tsawassen ferry terminal one time, battling my way through the labyrinth that is Richmond, decided to ask Garmin to get me home, North Coquitlam. Unfortunately, with dated map and road construction, it took me the long way, way east, ended up doubling-back across the Port Mann Bridge. Anyway, something in the news:

Study suggests reliance on GPS may reduce hippocampus function as we age

CBC radio "The Current" podcast on the subject, here:

Home | The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti | CBC Radio

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/5ECA242A-CD3B-4BFD-88DD-CFD03AB25B63/0/HybridReportMay152016.pdf

Source: State seeks more drivers for mileage tax test - Capital Bureau - East Oregonian

The line starts here.
Smaller, cheaper Toyota Mirai fuel-cell car coming in 2019, company says

Aside from our usual Faraday Future tagging, this week we cover... Russell Me talking about buying an electric motorcycle. Or trying to anyway. Zero Motorcycles Hap's Cycles Tony I want to talk hyper loop. Mark New Nissan xStorage (like a Tesla Powerwall) Mark Here we go, owner claiming Tesla crashed on its own! Russell I once knew a guy who was sure that the best idea for a restaurant ever, in the history of food service, was a Dracula themed restaurant where the menus are shaped liked bats. Yeah, that was the whole idea. He was sure it was a winner. Faraday Future thinks our future is robots. Lots and lots of robots. Russell Predicting person makes big prediction, Chevy Bolt sales of 30K to 80K during first year says KBB analyst Tony Could we have a new, viable EV player?

Read more about this episode on WhatDrives.Us

An hour long, still interesting insights about how to design efficiently:


This is the awesome motor: Charged EVs | EV-builder DeltaWing to use DHX motors with direct-winding heat exchange system


In effect, a liquid cooled, motor that allows much higher currents and power density.


In a Prius, these motors could shave almost 100 lbs but there is an even more effective approach. Encapsulate the stators in a non-conductive bath inside a jacket.

This would provide direct, heat conduction and increase the power density even further. With a pressurized coolant bath, it could leave the enclosing jacket and go through a phase change to efficiently...

The heart of the Canadian Oil sands (as far as living residences) is Fort McMurray which has sadly taken serious damage in the recent wild fires. Apparently a significant portion of the oil production is shut in for safety reasons. Bottom line analysts expecting a rough weeks ahead in the gasoline/crude prices.


The Fort Mac fire toll - Gasbuddy Gas Prices

The race is just starting on FS1 channel. Maybe the Toyotas will actually compete this time, the Porsche and Audi hybrids have just been competing against each other.

This week our panel takes on:

• You Say Autonomous Cars Will Encourage More People to have sex in cars Like that’s a bad thing
  
• Volvo pisses on Tesla’s autopilot functionality
  
• RAV4 Hybrid has made the Prius V irrelevant and redundant…already
  
• Mark Coughlan talks about how Awesome the new 2G Chevy Volt is (and how awesome In-N-Out is).
  
• The Chevy Jolt may be a dumb name but it's a great idea, even if it is bogus
  
• Japan has more charging spots than gas stations?

Read more about this episode on WhatDrives.Us