PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Currently, the third generation Prius has been getting 50 miles per gallon since it's generation debut in 2010. Pretty remarkable at the time.

But now, we have other hybrid options that are bigger, heavier, more refined, and getting very good numbers: the Camry/Avalon/ES hybrids get 40 mpg; the Accord Hybrid gets 47 mpg; and the Sonata/Optima Hybrid get 38 mpg.

What gas mileage should the next generation Prius have?

Recent estimates indicate a 10% increase in fuel economy, ergo, possibly 55 mpg combined. Is that "good enough" for the smaller, lighter, more aerodynamic Prius?

We have to also account for the significant importance of the Prius' powertrain, because it will trickle down to the next generation CT and Prius V, and other future variants.


What do you think?


DISCUSS.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

IMO:

55 mpg? Good.
60 mpg? Much better.
65 mpg? That's awesome!
70 mpg? That's wishful thinking...

doge

I think Toyota should aim for 60-65. Increases of only 5mpg are great for standard cars, a car like the prius which is designed with fuel economy above all should make much more significant strides.

bagwell

they should really push for....(I averaged that with my 2008 and 2010 Prius')

mmarshall

I personally hope, with the next-generation Prius, that they emphasize material-solidness a little more, even if it impacts on gas mileage. While not everyone agreed with me, when I reviewed the current 3Gen Prius, I noticed a significant downgrade of exterior sheet metal and interior material-solidness. Of course, that DID control the car's weight, which contributed to the 3Gen's better handling/braking, better gas mileage, and (unfortunately) a firmer ride. But I was impressed enough with the 2Gen's noticeably more solid build and structure that I felt that the 3Gen's gains in performance and gas mileage weren't worth the added flimsiness in the materials.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I want 60, but I feel 55 will be closer to the actual thing.

GS69

Next-Gen Prius Launch Delayed 6 Months

Toyota Motor Corp. has delayed the start of production for the 4th-generation Prius from next spring until December 2015, as engineers sweat the details of a new vehicle architecture and the company's next-generation hybrid system.

Toyota initially targeted a spring manufacturing launch for the next iteration of its hallmark hybrid, code-named 690A. That has been pushed back to December, people familiar with the matter say.

The Prius confirmation vehicle, a prototype typically built 12 months before Job 1 to ensure performance, is scheduled for around November 2014.

Production of the plug-in version is expected to begin in October 2016.

Reasons for the roughly half-year delay are murky. 1 source said engineers were tweaking the car to ensure maximum fuel economy, possibly adjusting body and chassis issues.

A Toyota spokesman said the company could not comment on future product plans.

Hybrid czar Satoshi Ogiso, managing officer for product planning, also declined to comment on timing. But he told Automotive News the car will be a test bed of critical new technologies, including Toyota's modularized vehicle architecture and next-generation hybrid system.

Nailing the next Prius is paramount, so engineers may be forgiven for taking time to get it right. The car, which premiered in 1997, is the world's best-selling hybrid and a technology showcase.

Toyota, which sold more than 1 million hybrid vehicles in 2013 for a 2nd straight year, has more riding on the Prius' redesign than bragging rights. It will also show whether President Akio Toyoda's new product development strategy is on the right track.

The new modular approach, dubbed Toyota New Global Architecture, aims to boost the number of parts shared among vehicles to improve quality and lower costs. But even one problem with a small part could multiply across millions of vehicles because of the new focus on commonization.

The new hybrid system is expected to be smaller, lighter and more efficient. The company is targeting a fuel economy improvement of at least 10% over the 3rd-generation Prius, which debuted in 2009. Toyota considers that the benchmark target for each new generation.

"We need to prioritize fuel efficiency," Ogiso said.

The next-generation hybrid system will be overhauled to support a wider range of engines and vehicle types, he said. It will go beyond the compact Prius C, standard Prius and Camry-class cars.

Fuel efficiency will get a lift from a new gasoline engine with thermal efficiency rates above 40 percent, Ogiso added. The current Prius engine, the most efficient in Toyota's fleet, has a 38.5 percent efficiency rate. Higher thermal efficiency means more energy is captured to power the wheels, and less is lost through heat.

1 technology won't be deployed in the next-generation hybrid system, Ogiso said: the energy-saving computer chips that Toyota unveiled in May.

Such semiconductors manage the flow of electricity through the power control unit that integrates a hybrid vehicle's battery, motor and generator. The new ones will be made of silicon carbide and experience only a tenth of the energy loss of the silicon-based chips used today.

The technology has the potential to deliver 10 percent better fuel efficiency because less energy is lost when the battery powers the car's electric motor or when the regenerative brakes recharge the battery. Ogiso said deployment of those chips is on a 2020 horizon.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Fine with me. Do it once do it right

LexFather

It will be increasingly tougher to get that `10% gain...the 40% thermal efficiency is huge though....The Prius continues to sell pretty damn good for Toyota and a lot rides on each generation debut.

bagwell

won't a better/higher capacity/longer lasting battery take care of that? [nickel-metal hydride vs lithium-ion solid state vs lithium-air battery technologies]

spwolf

not without plugin...otherwise, battery just captures what can be recovered, cant be used to go into EV mode and avoid portions of EPA tests like what plugins do to get those crazy mpg numbers.

spwolf

there was Prius v in Japan with lion battery instead of nimh, and it got exactly the same mpg as one with nimh.

JDR76

I spent a lot of time in college (mechanical engineer) studying thermal efficiency. Granted it was about 17 years ago (gasp!), but I really didn't think we'd see anything greater than 40% without using diesel. This would be a pretty remarkable feat. Awesome.

Marklouis

Perhaps they are testing a new type of Battery, one that houses Graphene material instead of Lithium or Nickel. It's time for the next phase in Battery tech, and Toyota could pull it off.

Toys4RJill

I think we will see 60MPG for the new Prius.