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Toyota plug-in hybrids coming in 2010
January 14, 2008 - by David Ehrlich, Cleantech Group
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Tokyo-based Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM) said it plans to start selling plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2010.
That would put the new cars in direct competition with the Chevy Volt from Detroit's General Motors (NYSE: GM), another plug-in hybrid expected to be released that year.
Toyota said the first sales of its lithium-ion battery-equipped plug-in hybrid vehicles would be to fleet customers in the U.S. and elsewhere.
The company said it plans to produce the lithium-ion batteries for the new cars through a joint venture with Japan's Matsushita.
The venture, Panasonic EV Energy, operates a battery factory in Omori in central Japan.
Unlike current hybrids, which use an internal combustion engine and electric power, plug-ins can be recharged from a standard electric outlet, extending the distance they can go on electric power.
Toyota said it started testing plug-in hybrids on public roads last year in Japan, the U.S. and Europe.
In the U.S., the automaker said tests began in November with the cooperation of the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Irvine, under California's Alternative Fuel Incentive Program.
Copyright © 2008 Cleantech Group LLC. All rights reserved, including right of redistribution.
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Comments
Very skeptical of anything Toyota says
Submitted on January 14th, 2008 by InterestedReaderAfter watching Toyota change its tune at least 5 times, by my count, over the past few months with respect to plug-ins, no plug-ins, NiMh batteries, no lithium batteries, and now yes lithium batteries, claims that GM can't produce a plug-in, etc. I don't believe anything that comes out of any Toyota spokesmen's mouth. They have lost all credibility with respect to plug-ins, and their "testing" of plug-ins was a joke - they sent all of three cars to various universities, using battery packs they don't plan on using, in a type of car they probably don't plan on building. Apparently, Toyota is convinced they can make Americans believe anything they say. Toyota tops my list as the most dysfunctional corporation on the planet. Start building quality cars and maybe I'll listen to some of your claims.
Skeptical
Submitted on November 5th, 2009 by Unregistered user (not verified)You're right, All the car vendors are the same. GM sell shitty cars, Chevy Volt keeps changing their dates at first and various pricing scheme we dont even know if they can be trusted, bunch of crooks.
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