EcoBoost a green perception threat to hybrid cars?
Still a CAFE leader
Just finished reading a summary of Shell Oil’s update to its 2008 Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050 report that focuses on how the recession has changed the company’s view of the next 40 years of energy. Essentially, the world is entering an era of “volatile transitions” and there is “no silver bullet” to use against this volatility. Ultimately, a combination of “good policies, good practices, and good luck” across the globe is the only, although improbable, hedge against the downsides of this volatility.
So then, how is Toyota too focused on hybrid cars, as some in the auto industry suggest?
Hybrids, or any battery-powered vehicles for that matter, won’t be enough to “meet all consumer needs in the future” acknowledges Toyota. Thus, according to AutoWeek, Toyota is beginning to focus much more on adding direct injection, cylinder deactivation, turbo-chargers, 6-speed transmissions, dual clutches, etc. across it’s entire fleet of vehicles – much of which could happen within the next 5 years.
About time claim some, including AutoWeek, noting that the automaker is far behind Ford and Hyundai regarding such plans.
Still, Toyota counters that such developments, while not public, have been occurring at Toyota. Additionally, Toyota notes that the engine in the Prius is extremely advanced. Likewise, the next generation Prius will see its hybrid costs again be cut in half, making the technology plausible for even further widespread adoption.
Nevertheless, Toyota does seem to recognize that hybrids won’t be enough to maintain the automaker’s green image heading into the future. Quite simply, every Toyota vehicle needs to become more efficient, especially if Shell’s “volatile transitions” emerge on the energy scene. Moreover, Toyota seems quite capable of catching up to the lead some other automakers have over Toyota in terms of more fuel efficient engines, if the lead is really more than just perception.
On the other hand, unlike those other automakers, Toyota has achieved the kind of hybrid scale that will make it hard for other automakers to keep pace. Consequently, while hybrids alone might not be enough for green supremacy, coupled with more efficient engines, hybrids could still be the defining key green differentiator between Toyota and the rest of the pack. Thus, while Toyota does need to show more leadership in the race to ever-more fuel efficient ICE engines, other automakers are far further behind Toyota’s hybrid leadership.