Yeah, but look what Ford was able to do with the Fusion. They were able to get more power to the electric motors using a Li-Ion battery, necessitating a smaller ICE, resulting in fuel economy gains. Pretty clever.

 

what gains are that when real life they get same or worse mpg than Camry while having slower vehicle with smaller engine that probably costs more to produce? Camry is significantly faster while having same or better MPG according to mags and users reporting.

 

Yup. From a good size sample of users registered on fueleconomy.gov, the Fusion Hybrid is averaging 39.8 mpg while having a rating of 47 mpg combined. The Camry Hybrid is averaging 40 mpg even and is rated at 41 combined. This discrepancy in ratings really needs to be addressed. Clearly, the EPA isn't testing these models and are simply taking the automakers word for it. Ford's testing is way off. They changed the C-max's inflated numbers but for some reason have maintained the Fusion's rating of 47/47 when nobody is coming close to that. It should be rated at 40 combined. Toyota's ratings are the industry's most honest. In fact, the ratings are often beaten by owners. I drive my Yaris aggressively (always 80+ mph) and I beat the EPA ratings by 18%. I'm a big fan of Ford as of late but I think their ratings are messing with market comparisons. Real sales are being effected by these false numbers.

 

make this an option, not standard equip please - need to keep the costs in check; I wouldn't pay an extra $1000 for wireless charging - I'm not that lazy

 

well you do have to pay $2k-$3k to install charger at your home, so why not wireless? :-)

but best would be for public parking spaces... very easy way to make it usable.

 

oh I'm fine with the tech, I just don't want to be a early adopter and pay extra $$$$.
Just make it optional

 

"The next Prius will feature improved batteries with higher energy density – the relationship between the battery's output and dimensions. Toyota, already a leader in advanced drive battery technology, has stepped up its research, development and production capacity of both nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion and will use these technologies where appropriate in its expanding focus on electrification of the automobile. Toyota has also ramped up development on new battery technologies like solid state and lithium air, as well as devoting resources focused on chemistries beyond lithium, such as magnesium and other low-valence materials."

I was hoping they had a design for their own complex Ultracapacitor setup they could utilize in Hybrids. I'm guessing that's still a few years off perhaps.

 

don't know if this article was mentioned here or elsewhere in the forum... but the new more 'normal' looking (described as 'lexus-inspired') dash would be awesome.
article:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Secret-...rior-revealed/

 

thats mule based on CT200h, 4 month old article :-)

 

What does the big red button do? Is this the next James Bond car

 

port installed accessory hah

 

I think we all know the prius has been delayed a bit. Saw these photos on priuschat. Possibly of the new prius?

 

^Taillights are a dead giveaway.

I dunno though, so many people hate on it, but I kinda like the car. From a tech perspective, it's really interesting. From a driver perspective, I've driven the HS250h, and it's probably just as drab.

 

Dunno about that. Comparing the 2Gen with the current 3Gen Prius, the 2Gen, IMO, felt FAR more solidly-built inside and out. The 3Gen, I'll admit, handles somewhat better (losing some ride comfort in the process) and gets slightly better gas mileage. The old one rolled like a beach ball on sharp corners.

 

That quote was so old I had to go search what it was in response too lol. I was speaking from a handling standpoint in which there is no "I dunno about that". Lighter 'could' be worse if I were talking about build quality but that's not the case.