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Toyota chairman predicts long life for hybrids
Prius is more than an interim measure in alt-power evolution, says Toyota's new bossToyota Motor Corp chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada has told US pundits there's a lot of life left in hybrids yet.
Anticipating the fourth generation Prius debut towards the end of 2014, Mr Uchiyamada told an audience at the Economic Club of Washington DC that the stocks of petrol/electric hybrids like the Prius will continue to rise, flying in the face of those who see it as a mere stepping stone on the way to full electrification.
As chief engineer behind the Prius, now in its third generation since debuting in 1997, Mr Uchiyamada is widely acknowledged as the father of the sub-brand and the Hybrid Synergy Drive system now under the hoods of more than 20 Toyota and Lexus models. He assumed the position of chairman in June.
He took the opportunity from the rostrum to call on the US industry and its stewards to push US hybrid sales through the five million barrier by 2016.
The company sold just under 237,000 Prius-badged cars in the US through 2012; it's set a target of 250K for this year, but with sales to August down year-on-year it's not certain it will achieve it. That's more about factors like falling fuel prices than any signal that hybrids like the Prius are on the way out, Mr Uchiyamada told his audience.
"Some people say hybrid vehicles such as the Prius are only a bridge to the future," he said. "But we think it could be a long bridge and a very sturdy one. There are many more gains we can achieve with hybrids."
The company has already told media the fourth-gen Prius will be more affordable, even with improvements to operating efficiency and battery performance. By Mr Uchiyamada's reckoning, this merely maintains the tradition set through the first three incarnations.
"In each of the previous moves to a new generation, we achieved a 10 per cent increase in mileage per gallon," he told media. "We are committed to beating that record this time."
Looking further into the future, the company is investing heavily in readying a fuel cell for market.
"I personally expect a lot from this technology," he said. But not enough for an all-in bet. "Perhaps 15 years from now, we can meet again here in Washington and we will know exactly which system has prevailed," he added.
On vehicle autonomy, he made it clear Toyota is approaching the technology with characteristic caution, saying it should be rolled out through its models "carefully and in stages". While it sees the technology's value in cutting highway casualties, congestion and emissions, the company can't see the infrastructure necessary for full vehicle autonomy being ready any time soon.
Mr Uchiyamada commented that this is contingent on further cooperation between industry and government in the development of intelligent transport systems connecting cars with each other and the surrounding environment.
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Written byJeremy Bass
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