Toyota simultaneously focusing on hybrids and battery-powered electric vehicles

By Bruce Brown December 9, 2016

2017 Toyota Prius Prime — Miles Branman/Digital Trends

You could say Toyota is hedging its bets. You could also regard the company’s dual focus on hybrid and all-electric powertrains, recently reported on by Reuters, as a sensible, market-aware, and fiscally responsible strategy.

Toyota Motor Corporation announced this week that over the next five years it will expand development of gas-hybrid powertrains. The company will pursue ever-lower emissions via hybrid technology at the same time as it increases its development of all-electric vehicles. Previously Toyota was intent on developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to attain zero-emissions levels, but now has shifted technologies in favor of battery-electric cars.

In the face of market demand for ever-more environmentally friendly vehicles with lower fuel consumption, Toyota’s hybrid development expansion is intended both to improve miles-per-gallon-equivalent ratings and reduce emissions.

Toshiyuki Mizushima, president of Toyota’s powertrain division, said “We need to take an aggressive approach to deal with changing regulations,” Reuters reported.

The company plans to introduce 19 new lower-emissions powertrain components in the next five years. According to Toyota, those components will help lower carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent or more compared to vehicle averages in 2015.

Toyota managed to break through initial market resistance with its Prius hybrid line. While regulators seeking zero emissions are pushing for all-electric cars, considering yesterday’s hybrid news, it is clear that Toyota sees the benefits of developing both technologies.

“The core technology of plug-in hybrids and electric and fuel-cell vehicles is based on hybrid technology. By increasing our hybrid team, we can leverage new developments for use in electric powertrains,” said Mizushima. The company’s goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its new vehicles by 90 percent by 2050.

Toyota’s goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its new vehicles by 90 percent by 2050. To that end, Mizushima expects hybrids to comprise about 20 percent of Toyota sales by 2025, while the company’s battery-powered car development continues to pursue a shift away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…

Cars

How does weather affect EV battery life?

A car on a forest road in the winter.

Those of us living in extreme climates bump into one common hurdle when it comes to electric vehicles: How will battery life cope with the weather? The further north you go, the more whispers you hear about the catastrophic effect winters have on battery life, rendering your EV little more than an expensive mistake. Let's take a closer look at how EV batteries react to the cold and compare it to extreme heat effects.
Does cold reduce EV battery life?

A study of 20 of the bestselling electric car models in Norway shows that the cold reduces range by an average of 18.5% compared to their rated range.

Cars

Why do EVs charge slowly? Lithium battery limits explained

Mitsubishi i MiEV review exterior plug charging electric vehicle plugged in

One of the largest barriers for electric vehicle (EV) buyers is charging speed. Nobody wants to hang around a roadside station for 40 minutes. Let's take a closer look at why EVs take so long to top up, and what is being done to overcome this major hurdle to EV adoption.
How long does it take for an EV to charge?
The exact time it takes to charge an EV battery will depend on the charging point, the charge left to fill on the EV, and a myriad of environmental factors. For example, a fully depleted Tesla Model 3 with the largest capacity would take eight to 12 hours to charge at home with a high-powered connector. Meanwhile, a Supercharger station could do the same job in 25 to 30 minutes.
Do EVs need to be fully charged?
One of the habits ingrained in drivers when it comes to fuel is topping up to 100%. With gasoline, this makes sense, but batteries can take significant damage when they're pushed to those extremes in capacity.

You may have seen features on laptops that prioritize battery health by capping maximum charging at 80%. It's common practice now for phones to schedule charging rates so they only reach 100% when you're just about to wake up in the morning -- that way, the battery isn't spending a lot of time bursting at the seams with power.

Cars

How do electric cars work? EV motors and batteries explained

Electric GT e-Crate Motor Tesla battery

Electric vehicles function in fundamentally different ways than traditional cars. Internal combustion engines have loads of moving parts, and while EVs have their own complexities, they're much more digital than mechanical. Let's take a closer look at exactly how electric vehicles work.
How does an EV battery pack work?
Instead of gasoline, EVs derive their power from a battery pack, which usually stretches along the underside of the car to keep the weight as low as possible. It's composed of multiple modules, which are in turn broken down into individual battery cells, similar in size to AA batteries. A layer of coolant runs between cells since hot batteries are explodey batteries. A battery management system regulates that coolant and ensures that each cell drains at the same rate, which prolongs the life of the pack.