A Lexus Prius?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 06.29.07
If you trace the ownership of car manufacturers you will find an incestuous spider web. These manufacturers share parts and even chassis between different models. You will often find that even some prestige brands contain many parts from cheaper brands. It helps to keep research and development costs down, and streamlines the manufacturing process.
Toyota own Lexus for example, and this has led to speculation that there may be a Lexus version of the Prius on the way. Lexus have already dabbled with hybrid vehicles, so it wouldn't be an unprecedented move.
With no expense spent, TreeHugger have mocked up a prototype design for the Lexus Prius above. I thin you'll agree that it's a radical reworking of a green classic.
Lexus could certainly do with some positive environmental coverage after they were caught lying about how green one of their SUVs was, so they could be looking for something like this. ::AutoBlogGreen
See also ::Solar-Powered Toyota Prius Project ::Next Generation Prius: 94 MPG in 2008? ::Lexus Advert Banned in UK
It is usually best when writing a blog/column to spell words correctly or at least include letters that would usually be part of a word. Other than that your little blog was silly and not very informative. Most persons visiting treehugger are already the informed type of person......and if you did a poll I'm sure there would be more toyota owners than any other manufacturer. That written, one should probably do a tad bit more research into cars and their gas mileage. For instance, a 1981 Chevy pick-up got 27 mpg in the city....... now they get around 14 on average. Curious indeed. And, how is it that oil companies are "barely making profit" when only 2.5 years ago gas cost only 1.45?? Curious indeed. Wake up people and let's band together and overtake this government and the corporations that "lead us."
"High performance. Low emissions. Zero guilt." 'That was the claim made in a Lexus ad campaign. However, the Advertising Standards Authority didn't agree, and has banned the advert on the grounds of false claims. '
Evidently, a Prius system based Lexus would green it out, permit people to pay more for a system already in use, and earn Toyota more on its hybrid investment.
It is a good business idea but I think Toyota should do more in developing a plug-in. I know that everyone is waiting around for better batteries right now but there are already a few types available which could be used. If Toyota could put out a limited number of vehicles with these better batteries, even if they cost more, I am sure that they would be gobbled up in no time at all with a demand for more of them.
People are willing to pay extra if they know it will save on gasoline since the cost has already reached about $3/gal (I pay $3.41/gal where I live). Fuel costs will become an increasing factor in the purchase of new vehicles as the years go by and that is why GM and Ford will both go down the drain unless they come to their senses.
Years ago when the Prius first came out, I wrote an editorial for Times magazine showing the difference in costs for the average US car (21mpg) and the Prius. The editor told me to write more and that it was a very informative letter but the letter was never printed so I didn't write any more. The big three at that time also had a mud slinging campaign against the Prius but the Prius proved to endure and grow in sales at a rate much faster than the Detroit muscle cars, much to the chagrin of the US companies, and then they decided to join the hybrid march rather than fight it because they knew they were going against a winning cause.
Automakers must realize, somewhere down the line, that cars should serve primarily as transport and be used as a tool or medication to overcome psychological deficits that beset so many of our people. No, a car is not a member of the family to be fed and groomed and cared for as a pet nor should it be thought of as an ego maintainer or booster. Yes, the American has a psychi that needs support, there is no doubt about that, but should not depend upon a 300 Hp gas hog to fill in for that weakness.
adrianakau2aol.com
Sadly I just read an article in my local paper about the so-called Lexus hybrid. And, at 20 MPG city and 22MPG highway, it is far from revolutionary. In fact the car probably burns far more gas than alot of mid sized cars currently on the market.
I am getting pretty sick of hearing about all these hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles being made for the sole purpose of avoiding some regulation or so another rich jerk can avoid getting the finger as she drives his SUV down the road.
Their logic in deisgning the car was apparently to "compete with the performance of similarly classed V12 enginge luxury cars. Hooray.
Oh, and did I mention that at $105, 000 it's not exactly bringing green into the mainstream.
With the name "Matthew Sparkes" and being in London, I'd assume you've been speaking English since about 1 year old, but you made three typos in one post... wow.
Corrections in Bold
Toyota owns Lexus...
Lexus have[has] already dabbled...
I think you'll agree...
I'm no expert on British English (or would that just be "English") but I'm pretty sure it treats organizations such as companies as collective nouns and collective nouns as plural, so "Toyota own" and "Lexus have" would be correct.
phuntism:
I'm no expert in British English (would that just be English?), but I believe over there collective nouns are treated as plural. Therefore, "Toyota own" and "Lexus have" are correct.
Cars/truks 20 years ago got more MPGs given their lighter weight. Current regulations require more safety features which adds excess weight.
who cares if people have typo's on this website. get over it and don't be such a stiff.