RX400h delayed again
11-12-04, 09:47 AM
#1
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
RX400h delayed again
Here's an article from today's Wall Street Journal on Lexus' official announcement on the delay of the new RX400h:
Toyota Delays U.S. Launch Of Lexus Hybrid SUV
Associated Press
November 12, 2004 9:32 a.m.
DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus division said it was delaying the U.S. launch of a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its RX 400h sport-utility vehicle.
The Japanese auto maker's luxury arm said in late September that it planned to begin selling the RX 400h hybrids early next year. But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15, the federal deadline for filing taxes, as a 2006 model-year vehicle.
Lexus decided to delay the release to accommodate burgeoning demand for the SUV, which will be built at the company's Kyushu, Japan, plant, spokesman Bill Ussery said.
Lexus said it has 9,500 confirmed orders for the RX 400h, 8,000 buyers on dealership waiting lists and about 46,000 potential purchasers who have indicated online that they want more information about the vehicle.
Pricing for the RX 400h hybrid hasn't been announced yet. The gasoline-powered RX 330 starts between $36,425 and $37,825, according to the Edmunds.com Web site; most buyers pay a premium for hybrid vehicles.
Toyota plans to release a hybrid version of the Toyota Highlander SUV about 90 days after the RX 400h reaches U.S. showrooms.
Hybrids draw power from two energy sources, typically a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. U.S. registrations for hybrid vehicles rose to 43,435 last year, a 25.8% increase from 2002, according to recent figures from R.L. Polk & Co.
Copyright © 2004 Associated Press
Toyota Delays U.S. Launch Of Lexus Hybrid SUV
Associated Press
November 12, 2004 9:32 a.m.
DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus division said it was delaying the U.S. launch of a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its RX 400h sport-utility vehicle.
The Japanese auto maker's luxury arm said in late September that it planned to begin selling the RX 400h hybrids early next year. But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15, the federal deadline for filing taxes, as a 2006 model-year vehicle.
Lexus decided to delay the release to accommodate burgeoning demand for the SUV, which will be built at the company's Kyushu, Japan, plant, spokesman Bill Ussery said.
Lexus said it has 9,500 confirmed orders for the RX 400h, 8,000 buyers on dealership waiting lists and about 46,000 potential purchasers who have indicated online that they want more information about the vehicle.
Pricing for the RX 400h hybrid hasn't been announced yet. The gasoline-powered RX 330 starts between $36,425 and $37,825, according to the Edmunds.com Web site; most buyers pay a premium for hybrid vehicles.
Toyota plans to release a hybrid version of the Toyota Highlander SUV about 90 days after the RX 400h reaches U.S. showrooms.
Hybrids draw power from two energy sources, typically a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. U.S. registrations for hybrid vehicles rose to 43,435 last year, a 25.8% increase from 2002, according to recent figures from R.L. Polk & Co.
Copyright © 2004 Associated Press
11-12-04, 12:20 PM
#2
Lexus Champion
I don't get it. Ford Escape using Toyota's hybrid technology is already out.
Maybe the CVT just can't handle that much torque. They should put the 5-speed auto in for now then figure something else out.
Also the RX400h can't handle beach sand because its rear motor could get sand inside, overheat, and shutoff automatically to protect itself. Just seal it and put a heat sink with a fan on it. How hard can that be?
Maybe the CVT just can't handle that much torque. They should put the 5-speed auto in for now then figure something else out.
Also the RX400h can't handle beach sand because its rear motor could get sand inside, overheat, and shutoff automatically to protect itself. Just seal it and put a heat sink with a fan on it. How hard can that be?
11-13-04, 06:07 AM
#5
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I think you guys are misreading the WSJ article big time.
"The Japanese auto maker's luxury arm said in late September that it planned to begin selling the RX 400h hybrids early next year. But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15, the federal deadline for filing taxes, as a 2006 model-year vehicle."
This is one paragraph of the article stating it they delayed it from the Sep-04 launch date. And then it states "But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15...."
I think WSJ was a few days late in responding to the November 8th press release from Toyota.
Think about it, why would Lexus announce on November 8th that it will be here April 15, 2005 and then 4 days later announce they are delaying it again???????
"The Japanese auto maker's luxury arm said in late September that it planned to begin selling the RX 400h hybrids early next year. But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15, the federal deadline for filing taxes, as a 2006 model-year vehicle."
This is one paragraph of the article stating it they delayed it from the Sep-04 launch date. And then it states "But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15...."
I think WSJ was a few days late in responding to the November 8th press release from Toyota.
Think about it, why would Lexus announce on November 8th that it will be here April 15, 2005 and then 4 days later announce they are delaying it again???????
11-13-04, 08:47 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by Skinny
I think you guys are misreading the WSJ article big time.
"The Japanese auto maker's luxury arm said in late September that it planned to begin selling the RX 400h hybrids early next year. But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15, the federal deadline for filing taxes, as a 2006 model-year vehicle."
This is one paragraph of the article stating it they delayed it from the Sep-04 launch date. And then it states "But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15...."
I think WSJ was a few days late in responding to the November 8th press release from Toyota.
Think about it, why would Lexus announce on November 8th that it will be here April 15, 2005 and then 4 days later announce they are delaying it again???????
I think you guys are misreading the WSJ article big time.
"The Japanese auto maker's luxury arm said in late September that it planned to begin selling the RX 400h hybrids early next year. But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15, the federal deadline for filing taxes, as a 2006 model-year vehicle."
This is one paragraph of the article stating it they delayed it from the Sep-04 launch date. And then it states "But Toyota announced this week that it would put them on sale April 15...."
I think WSJ was a few days late in responding to the November 8th press release from Toyota.
Think about it, why would Lexus announce on November 8th that it will be here April 15, 2005 and then 4 days later announce they are delaying it again???????
11-13-04, 08:48 AM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by HarrierAWD
I don't get it. Ford Escape using Toyota's hybrid technology is already out.
Maybe the CVT just can't handle that much torque. They should put the 5-speed auto in for now then figure something else out.
Also the RX400h can't handle beach sand because its rear motor could get sand inside, overheat, and shutoff automatically to protect itself. Just seal it and put a heat sink with a fan on it. How hard can that be?
I don't get it. Ford Escape using Toyota's hybrid technology is already out.
Maybe the CVT just can't handle that much torque. They should put the 5-speed auto in for now then figure something else out.
Also the RX400h can't handle beach sand because its rear motor could get sand inside, overheat, and shutoff automatically to protect itself. Just seal it and put a heat sink with a fan on it. How hard can that be?
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11-13-04, 10:51 AM
#8
Pole Position
...heard on NPR friday afternoon that Toyota is having big problems meeting high demand for the Prius, and that some of the same or similar hybrid mechanicals [batteries?] were destined for the new 400h and Highlander Hybrid.
11-13-04, 01:45 PM
#9
Out of Warranty
NiMH batteries and controllers are established technologies and largely outsourced by Toyota. We'd heard several months ago that supplies of these components couldn't keep up with demand - that the unexpected popularity of the Prius was actually cutting into the stock for the RX. That should have ben solved some time ago.
Like Harrier, I suspect the problem is the CVT not performing up to spec. I seem to recall both Nissan (Infiniti) and Audi going through similar "teething" problems when getting full production of CVTs started. If you go far enough back, Daf - the Dutch microcar - and the first commercial developer of a rubber belt-driven CVT experienced similar problems with early production units in the late fifties.
Daf transmission
The rubber belts operated in tension, rather than like the steel links that operate in compression in current CVTs. Otherwise, the transmission is the same. Note that the Daf transmission incorporated TWO belts - one for each rear wheel. You would think this would require the differential (at right) to run locked.
The CVT is a key component of the RX 400h driveline, allowing the engine to supply a smooth flow of power to the wheels, without abrupt changes in ratio that would only serve to "confuse" the electrical controllers. This was one of the design criteria for the system, and going back to a conventional auto transmission would probably induce even more delays in delivery as a whole new controller would have to be developed.
Like Harrier, I suspect the problem is the CVT not performing up to spec. I seem to recall both Nissan (Infiniti) and Audi going through similar "teething" problems when getting full production of CVTs started. If you go far enough back, Daf - the Dutch microcar - and the first commercial developer of a rubber belt-driven CVT experienced similar problems with early production units in the late fifties.
Daf transmission
The rubber belts operated in tension, rather than like the steel links that operate in compression in current CVTs. Otherwise, the transmission is the same. Note that the Daf transmission incorporated TWO belts - one for each rear wheel. You would think this would require the differential (at right) to run locked.
The CVT is a key component of the RX 400h driveline, allowing the engine to supply a smooth flow of power to the wheels, without abrupt changes in ratio that would only serve to "confuse" the electrical controllers. This was one of the design criteria for the system, and going back to a conventional auto transmission would probably induce even more delays in delivery as a whole new controller would have to be developed.
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