Toyota Shifting Approach to Hybrids, Investing More in Plug-Ins

Toyota unveiled the first Prius as a concept at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. Since then, the model has gone on to become known as the first mainstream – and best-selling –  hybrid vehicle. But with the automaker releasing the Prius Prime plug-in earlier this year, Toyota is now beginning to shift away from traditional gasoline hybrids to focus more on plug-ins and battery-powered vehicles.

 

Part of the reason for the change in direction is because traditional hybrids have been trending downward in popularity lately. Experts point to lower fuel prices, but also to the wide array of new alternatives that are available. Rather than buy a conventional hybrid, consumers looking to become more sustainable can purchase a plug-in hybrid, a long-range battery-electric vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle like the Toyota Mirai.

 

Toyota has long been wary of lithium-ion battery technology; however, they plan to include these same batteries in many of their upcoming "green" vehicles. They also opted for lithium-ion batteries in the Prius Prime rather than the less energy-dense nickel-metal hydride cells used in the original Prius. 

 

One technology that could suffer as a result of this technology shift is Toyota’s fuel-cell program. The automaker has announced that it is recalling all 2,840 of the Mirai fuel-cell vehicles it has sold worldwide because of an issue with the "stacks" used to generate power to the electric motor. Under certain conditions, such as when a driver slams the throttle to the floor after coasting in cruise control, the system could generate excess voltage.