High Gas Prices: Hybrids to the Rescue

September 11, 2005 – Vol.10 No.25

HIGH GAS PRICES: HYBRIDS TO THE RESCUE.

Toyota thinks it will sell nearly 250,000 Prius hybrids in 2005, up from 130,000 in 2004. Next year the company believes it can do even better, much better

While the company has not set specific production goals, news reports suggest that the company will boost annual production of the hybrid motors by 30 percent next year in its plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. They’ll make enough Prius motors to build 400,000 cars, they say. Most of those would be headed to the U.S. where the car is the most popular.

Apparently the problem in building more Prius hybrids is that battery manufacturers can’t keep up with demand.

With continued high prices for oil worldwide, car manufacturers may be scrambling to develop hybrids.

Mercedes-Benz showed a pair a concept hybrids at the International Auto Show in Frankfort, Germany.

One, a gasoline fueled version dubbed Direct Hybrid, uses an S-Class Mercedes with a 3.5 liter V-6 coupled with a high-torque electric motor. The other, Bluetec Hybrid joins a V-6 diesel S-class with an electric motor. The gasoline-fueled direct hybrid achieves 25 percent better fuel economy than a conventional V-6; Bluetec gets about 20 percent better mileage. (Keep in mind that a conventional S-class diesel already gets better fuel economy than conventional gas version.)

Both vehicles would be able to run on electric power alone in urban situations, both when power is needed. The Bluetec also has an exhaust gas purification system that will reduce nitrogen oxides by more than 80 percent. Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel would help reduce the sulfur oxide emissions.