Japanese, U.S. Governments Investigating 2010 Toyota Prius

In the past no one took much notice of a government department starting an investigation into a specific defect, but because of the heightened attention to the recent Toyota recall, we’re seeing more of it.

Today the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration joined the Japanese government in investigating the brakes of the 2010 Toyota Prius. Japanese officials said there were 14 complaints in total, but 13 of them happened over a two month period, an unusually high amount.
 
NHTSA says it has received 100 complaints about Prius brakes in the U.S. In 2009 Toyota sold 139,682 Prius hybrids in the U.S. The nature of the complaints wasn’t released, so we don’t know if owners are saying the brakes failed completely or didn’t respond properly. The Prius does use regenerative braking as part of its hybrid system, reacting slightly differently from traditional brakes when depressed.

LaHood: U.S. looking at Prius brakes (Detroit News)

Toyota Plans Eight New Hybrids, Prius Family

Today, Toyota announced plans to rollout eight new hybrid models in “the next few years,” and it will do so under a Prius nameplate, which has long been rumored. While there is no formal timetable laid out for this Prius family, the company did say these eight models would be both all-new dedicated hybrids like the Prius and hybrid versions of existing gas-powered cars such as the Camry Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid.

Often, automakers consider a new version of an existing model such as a Camry Hybrid or Highlander Hybrid in numbers like these. But Toyota clearly states that’s not the case here, so that means these are eight hybrids we’ve yet to hear of. That should be great news to hybrid aficionados.

A smaller hybrid than the Prius, which could be based on the FT-CH concept unveiled today, is a possibility, but the concept looks to be more than a few years from being production-ready. Toyota did say that the FT-CH “is a concept that we are considering.”

2010 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid at 2009 L.A. Auto Show

• Competes with: Chevy Volt, Mini E
• Looks like: A regular Prius with more graphics and an electrical socket
• Drivetrain: Plug-in electric hybrid with lithium-ion battery
• Hits dealerships: 150 test cars hit select markets in 2010

Details about what powers the new plug-in version of the popular Prius hybrid are scarce, but that’s not stopping Toyota from showing it at the L.A. Auto Show. The green-centric show will have plenty of high-mileage cars on hand, and the 2010 Prius Plug-In Hybrid shows that Toyota isn’t going to let Chevy’s Volt steal all the thunder.

The Prius will work in much the same way as the Volt, with a gas engine acting as a range extender when the battery is depleted. Toyota says that battery range is only 13 miles versus the Volt’s 40 mile all-electric range.

Luckily for Toyota, the first plug-in Prius will go out to a select group of customers and test partners that will scrutinize daily life with the car before it goes on sale to the public.

2010 Toyota Prius vs. 2010 Honda Insight: The Commute

Last week, we ran our latest Mileage Challenge featuring four ultra-fuel-efficient cars, and before that we rounded up six fuel-sippers to see which one was the best daily driver. But none of these reports put a brutal, real-life morning and evening commute to the test.

That’s exactly what I did in the new 2010 Honda Insight and 2010 Toyota Prius, the two most affordable hybrids on the road. We hear a lot of car shoppers say they buy hybrids to help save on their gas costs and cut down on emissions during their commute. But how did the two do in terms of fuel efficiency, comfort and entertainment for my often 90-minute morning commute and 45-minute afternoon commute? Let’s find out.

Mileage Challenge 5.5: Final Thoughts

Beyond the numbers that we so diligently broke down yesterday, driving four different cars for six hours can be telling in many more ways than just fuel economy. Our editors share their thoughts on the cars and pick which car they’d log another six-hour trip in.

Mileage Challenge 5.4: The Results

Our latest mileage challenge had editors logging more than 300 miles each in three hybrids and a diesel: the 2010 Honda Insight, 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, 2010 Toyota Prius and 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. We tallied up all the numbers and corrected for a brief photography stint between Legs 2 and 3. (Angling cars around for the camera — complete with rapid stops, starts and idling — has a way of dinging your mileage, and it’s not representative of real-world driving.)

The results were striking.

Mileage Challenge 5.1: Hybrid vs. Diesel

Despite gas prices averaging below $2.50 a gallon nationwide, hybrids and alternative-fuel vehicles are as popular as ever. The redesigned Toyota Prius is one of the country’s best-sellers, and Volkswagen’s TDI diesel was in short supply after it debuted at dealers earlier this year. With interest in these types of vehicles still high, we held another mileage challenge with the most popular of these cars and included both hybrids and VW’s most efficient diesel.

Toyota Prius Plug-In Concept at Frankfurt Motor Show

• Looks like: The 2010 Toyota Prius we see in extravagant TV commercials
• Defining characteristics: Plug-in capability
• Ridiculous features: Can only go 12 miles on electric power
• Chance of being mass-produced: Starts testing next year, so chances are good

Plug-in hybrids will go on sale at a real dealership near you in the next few years. That fact seems inevitable now. We don’t doubt Chevy will start actually selling the Volt plug-in late next year, or Ford will sell its electric Focus after that. But now that Toyota has officially joined the game with its Prius Plug-In concept, the electric era seems inevitable.

It’s only called a concept here because Toyota is not putting it into full production. Otherwise, what you see here is fully operational and will go into testing in 2010. 

500 test vehicles will roll out worldwide next year to see what the user experience is really like. The hybrid powertrain is identical to the new Prius, except for the batteries. The plug-in will have lithium-ion batteries while the standard Prius still packs nickel hydride.

This Prius can be plugged into a normal household outlet and recharge in just one and a half hours. Its maximum range on purely electric power is just 12 miles, after that it will run on gasoline just like any traditional hybrid. That’s far less than the Volt’s claims of a 40 mile range on just electric power. However, the Prius’ hybrid system allows for average fuel economy of 50 mpg, while the Volt will likely be less, perhaps under 40 mpg. Top speed is also limited to 62 mph in electric mode.

Toyota says these test vehicles need to complete an evaluation period before they’re considered for commercial release, but we highly doubt Toyota is going to wait for that before readying a more capable version for sale to compete with the Volt. A few more images are below.

Honda Insight, Kia Soul, Toyota Prius Earn Top Safety Award

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its latest crash-test ratings, and the 2010 Honda Insight, Kia Soul and Toyota Prius all earned the group’s Top Safety Pick award. The title goes to any model that scores the top rating of Good in front, side and rear crash tests. The cars also must be equipped with electronic stability control. All three of these cars come with that safety feature standard, although the Insight features it standard only in the top EX trim level.

IIHS considers all three small cars, though the Prius’ interior volume rates it as a midsize in EPA designations. The three join seven other small cars that have earned the Top Safety Pick award, but of those only the Scion xB, Subaru Impreza and VW Rabbit feature stability control standard. The Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer and Toyota Corolla offer it as an option.

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2010 Toyota Prius Priced $1,000 Less Than Outgoing Model

When I reviewed the new 2010 Toyota Prius back in February, I marveled at all the terrific features it packed and guessed it would have to cost more than the outgoing model, but that it would be worth the extra cost. Today, Toyota has announced pricing of the new hybrid, which goes on sale next month, and it’s going to be at least $1,000 less than the current version.

The Prius will start at $21,000, before a $750 destination charge. This price is for a base model that the company hasn’t yet introduced, called the Prius I. The Prius II through Prius V, which we’ve already detailed in depth and which go on sale in late May, will also start at cheaper prices than the 2009.

The Prius II will start at $22,000 before destination, compared to the 2009’s $23,375 starting price. The top-of-the-line Prius V, however, gets costly, starting at $27,270. There are also new options, like a Solar Roof Package, that have also been priced. You can find all the pricing details below.