Lexus is showcasing several vehicles at the New York International Auto Show. The centerpiece of Lexus’ exhibit is the Lexus CT 200h premium compact hybrid, which will be on display for the first time in North America. As the only dedicated hybrid vehicle in the premium compact segment, the CT 200h is expected to lead the class in fuel economy numbers and standard safety features including eight airbags.

The CT200h exhibit is entitled, “The Darker Side of Green,” a slogan that will appeal to a more aggressive buyer. Playing at the exhibit is a pulsing, flashing 60-second trailer for the vehicle on a multi-screen system. It is designed to appear to be a trailer more for an explosive action film than for a compact hybrid.

So it appears that Lexus’ intent is to produce a sensible car, but its marketing will attempt to downplay everything sensible and instead try to sell it as adventurous and sexy. This one will be aggressively eco-friendly- the rich man’s Prius.

Truly adventurous is the Lexus LFA, the automaker’s first world-class, 550 hp supercar, will also be featured. Only a limited number of these hand-built vehicles will be distributed worldwide. Visitors can interact with the “LFA Configurator,” which gives them an opportunity to build their own computerized dream car – with selected colors, wheels and calipers – and send the image to an email address or post to their favorite social media web site.

With more than 8 million cars recalled, Toyota certainly has its share of problems in the media. The effect of multiple major recalls is at least partly to blame for the intensity of the negative coverage that Toyota has received.

Starting with its largest-ever recall over unintended acceleration caused by the floor mat entrapping the accelerator, Toyota went very quickly to a second large recall for sticking accelerator pedals. Both stories were bound to be big news stories, but are compounded by the fact that headlines are reporting a large recall- again. In Toyota’s case, it seems that recalls are coming again- and again- and again.

The repetitive nature of the recall stories make the total story larger than the sum of its parts. Thus, Toyota is getting more attention for each recall- no matter how small or infrequent the problem.

The second major factor involved in the media attention has been Toyota’s reluctance to admit to problems in the first place. This has lead to speculation of a cover-up of a larger problem by Toyota and has opened Toyota up to high-profile complaints and lawsuits that further affect the company’s image.

Particularly in the case of its first recall, Toyota was reluctant to admit to a problem with the floor mats. As Toyota denied problems, media attention grew rapidly around the fatal accident involving off-duty California State Trooper Mark Saylor and his wife. As the details of the crash- including the disturbing 911 call made by Officer Saylor during the incident- became public, Toyota took a beating for what many felt was an attempt to whitewash the problem. The eventual recall fueled criticisms that Toyota refused to admit to a problem until lives were lost.

As these stories continue to snowball for Toyota, one last detail becomes evident. Toyota has spent years creating an image of a company concerned with safety and reliability. Toyota has also spent a great deal of effort promoting itself as a responsible corporation interested in the welfare of its customers.

The recalls and the poor handling of the underlying problems have been more devastating to the company because they directly strike at the company’s image. The recalls themselves are all that much more newsworthy particularly because they are so unexpected.

So, ultimately Toyota is faring worse because it is being held to a higher standard in general. In the short run, Toyota has failed to meet its own high expectations- and that will be its greatest mistake.

Toyota’s hope is that it can redeem itself. It must make every effort now to show that the recent errors were an aberration that has been corrected, not an indication that the company has lost its way.

The 2010 Northeast International Auto Show has begun at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI. It runs through Sunday, January 24, sponsored by Motor Trend Auto Shows.

This year’s show in Providence features a strong focus on “Green” technology from each of the auto makers. Included in the show are hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles. It’s a great community auto show for people unable to attend the larger shows in Detroit, LA or New York.

Scheduled events this weekend include Kids Day on Sunday, with appearances by Spiderman, the Hulk and Miss Teen Rhode Island World 2009 Amberly Joy Messier. Exhibits include a collection of vintage cars from British Motorcars of New England and an exotic car display featuring Rolls Royce and Lamborghini vehicles.

On Saturday at 10 a.m. Scott Settlemire, Manager of Chevrolet and Cadillac Shows and Exhibits will speak with Camaro enthusiasts in a special presentation.

This show is relatively small and competes with other Motor Trend shows running this weekend around the country. Manufacturers are not using it as a platform to launch new products, like larger shows in Detroit, New York or LA. Instead, it’s more an opportunity to comare some of the available models from the various manufacturers.

Toyota is there with several cars, trucks and SUVs. This model year includes three vehicles that are seeing major “generation” changes this year- the Sienna, the 4Runner and the Prius. Each of these are represented at the show, perhaps the highlight for Toyota. Scion has three vehicles in its display area and Lexus is not represented at all.

All in all, it is a fun family experience- especially if you’re shopping for a new car in the area. Its small size make it easy to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. Don’t expect to see any concept cars that have never been seen before. The manufacturers are saving the big stories for the bigger shows.

Toyota announced that more than 100 Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (FCHV-adv) vehicles will be placed in a nationwide demonstration program over the next three years.

TMS and Toyota Motor Manufacturing and Engineering North America, Inc. will place vehicles with universities, private companies and government agencies in both California and New York. Over the three year course of the demonstration program, as new hydrogen stations come online, additional regions and partners will be added. Toyota’s demonstration program expansion will provide one of the largest fleets of active fuel cell vehicles in the country with the primary goal of spurring essential hydrogen infrastructure development. The demonstration program also will serve to demonstrate fuel cell technologies reliability and performance prior to its 2015 market introduction.

“We plan to come to market in 2015, or earlier, with a vehicle that will be reliable and durable, with exceptional fuel economy and zero emissions, at an affordable price,” said Irv Miller, TMS group vice president of environmental and public affairs. “Toyota will not be alone in the fuel cell marketplace and building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is the critical next step. Hopefully, expansion of demonstration programs like this one will serve as a catalyst.”

In December 2002, Toyota began limited testing of fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. and Japan. A total of 20 first generation fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHV) are in service in California with universities, corporations and government agencies. Toyota enlisted the University of California, Irvine, University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Davis to test different aspects of consumer acceptance and market dynamics of fuel cell vehicles. FCHV also are placed with the California Fuel Cell Partnership, a public-private partnership organization to promote the adoption of hydrogen vehicles in California.

Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology has advanced at an impressive pace since the FCHV introduction in 2002. Toyota engineers have consistently improved vehicle range, durability and efficiency through improvements in the fuel cell stack and the high-pressure hydrogen storage system, while achieving significant cost reductions in materials and manufacturing. When the FCHV-adv was introduced in 2008, it boasted an estimated range increase of more than 150% over the first generation FCHV.

In late 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, approached Toyota to participate in a collaborative evaluation of the real-world driving range of the FCHV-adv. When the range evaluation was completed in 2009, the FCHV-adv averaged the equivalent of 68 mpg and achieved an estimated range of 431 miles on a single fill of hydrogen compressed gas. To compare, that’s more than double the range of the Highlander Hybrid with zero emissions.

In late 2007, the technology improvements implemented in the FCHV-adv were road tested in extreme conditions on a 2,300 mile trek from Fairbanks, Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia along the Alaska-Canadian (ALCAN) highway. The seven day trip confirmed substantial progress in reliability and durability, cold-weather operation and extended range capability of the hybrid fuel cell system.

Over the last decade, Toyota has focused on a broad, comprehensive advanced technology approach, with the belief that there is no single technology solution for the future. Beginning in late 2009, Toyota began delivery of 600 Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHV) for a global demonstration program. Of this initial fleet, 150 will be placed with select U.S. partners for market/consumer analysis and technical demonstration. The program will allow Toyota to gather real world vehicle-use feedback to better understand customer expectations for plug-in technology, confirm, in a wide variety of real world applications, the overall performance of first-generation lithium-ion battery technology and spur the development of public-access charging station infrastructure.

“Advanced technology demonstration programs like these are a necessary next step in societal preparation,” said Miller. “They allow us the unique opportunity to inform, educate and prepare customers for the arrival of true sustainable mobility.”

Toyota Unveils Compact Dedicated Hybrid Concept, Reveals Future Plan for ‘Prius Family’ North American Marketing Strategy
Advanced Battery R&D and Manufacturing Capacity will Rise with Scheduled Roll-out of Plug-in Hybrids, Fuel Cells and Battery Electric Vehicles

Toyota unveiled the FT-CH dedicated hybrid concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The FT-CH is a concept that would address Toyota’s stated strategy to offer a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices to its customers, as it begins to introduce plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and battery electrics (BEVs) in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) in 2015 in global markets.

“Within the next 10 to 20 years, we will not only reach peak oil we will enter a period where demand for all liquid fuels will exceed supply,” said Jim Lentz, TMS president. “A century after the invention of the automobile, we must re-invent it with powertrains that significantly reduce or eliminate the use of conventional petroleum fuels. One of many alternatives is through what is commonly called the electrification of the automobile. By far, the single most successful example of this has been the gas-electric hybrid.”

The CH stands for compact hybrid as in compact class and it’s a concept that can best be defined by comparing it with the mid-size class Prius. The FT-CH captures the spirit and functionality of a car that thrives in the inner-city environment; sized right to be nimble, responsive and maneuverable.

“It’s a package Toyota dealers and customers have been asking for,” added Lentz.

The FT-CH was styled at Toyota’s European Design and Development (ED²) center in Nice, France. Compared to Prius, it is 22 inches shorter in overall length, yet loses less than an inch in overall width. In spite of its compact external dimensions, FT-CH was designed for maximum passenger comfort and interior roominess, with an imaginative sense of style.

Lighter in weight and even more fuel efficient than Prius, the concept specifically targets a lower price point than Prius, thus appealing to a younger, less-affluent buyer demographic.

Pointing to how Prius has become a universal icon for hybrid technology, Lentz confirmed that TMS is developing a Prius family “marketing strategy” for North America that will take full advantage of the Prius brand equity.

“The strategy is still taking shape and obviously it will require additional models to qualify as a family,” said Lentz. “Among others, the FT-CH is a concept that we are considering.”

In the early 2010s, Toyota plans to sell a million hybrids per year globally, a majority of those in North America. To accomplish this, Toyota will launch eight all new hybrid models over the next few years. These will not include next generation versions of current hybrids; instead, they will be all new dedicated hybrid vehicles, or all new hybrid versions of existing gas engine models.

The heart of hybrid technology is its battery. Since the early 90’s, during the early stages of first-generation Prius development, Toyota has been committed to in-house R&D of advanced nickel-metal hydride batteries. Through three generations
of Prius and a total of seven full-hybrid models, it has systematically reduced size, weight and cost while improving energy density, quality and reliability.

Toyota’s joint venture partnership with Panasonic has been a key element of its success in the advancement of hybrid technology. Later this year, Panasonic EV Energy (PEVE) will have three separate, fully operational production facilities with a combined capacity of more than one million units per year.

Moving the promise of electrification one step further, Toyota recently kicked off its global demonstration program involving approximately 600 Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Beginning early this year, 150 PHVs will begin to arrive in the U.S. where they will be placed in regional clusters with select partners for market/consumer analysis and technical demonstration.

The Prius PHV introduces Toyota’s first generation lithium-ion drive battery. When fully charged, the vehicle is targeted to achieve a maximum electric-only range of about 13 miles and capable of achieving highway speeds of more than 60 mph in electric-only mode. For longer distances, the Prius PHV reverts to “hybrid mode” and operates like a regular Prius. This ability to utilize all-electric power for short trips or hybrid power for longer drives alleviates the issue of limited cruising range encountered with pure-electric vehicles.

All program vehicles will be equipped with data retrieval/communication devices which will monitor activities such as: how often the vehicle is charged and when, whether the batteries are depleted or being topped-off during charging, trip duration and all-electric driving range, combined mpg and so on.

As it becomes available, data from the program vehicles will be posted to a dedicated Web site. This in use, readily available data will help consumers understand how the vehicles are being used and how they’re performing.

Toyota believes this demonstration program is a necessary next step in societal preparation in that it allows Toyota the unique opportunity to inform, educate and prepare customers for the electrification of the automobile in general and the introduction of plug-in hybrid technology.

Toyota is moving quickly with the development of PHV technology well beyond this demonstration program. Advanced battery R&D programs with nickel-metal, lithium-ion and “beyond lithium” are underway for a wide variety of applications in conventional hybrids, PHVs, BEVs and FCHVs.

In the early 1990s, Toyota began R&D on building a practical and affordable hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. FCHV technical advancements have moved at a rapid pace. Engineers have made great strides in cost reduction targets in both materials and manufacturing and Toyota is committed to bringing hydrogen fuel cells to global markets in 2015.

Toyota’s latest model, the Toyota FCHV-advanced began its own national demonstration program late last year. Over the course of the three year program, more than 100 vehicles will be placed in an effort to demonstrate the technology’s performance, reliability and practicality in everyday use.

Recently field tested in southern California by two national laboratories at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy, the FCHV-advanced confirmed an estimated single-tank fuel range of 431 miles. In combined city and highway driving from Santa Monica to San Diego the FCHV-adv logged an estimated 68 miles per kilogram of hydrogen, the rough equivalent of 68 miles per gallon. That range is equivalent to a Highlander hybrid at more than double the MPG with zero emissions other than water vapor.

In 1997, Toyota introduced the RAV4 EV battery electric vehicle in California. 1,484 of these 100 mile range large-battery electric vehicles were either sold or leased over the course of the program. Nearly half are still on the road.

Shortly thereafter, Toyota started a modest demonstration program with a small- battery electric urban commuter vehicle, called the e-com. This concept addressed the idea of the “on-demand” city station car similar to the Zip-car business model that is becoming popular in large urban areas. Although shorter in range, the e-com program addressed a specific mobility niche at a much more affordable price than the RAV4 EV.

The RAV4 EV and e-com programs were short lived due to lack of commitment from the market; the consumer and the consumer’s environmental mind set were not ready to commit to battery electric vehicles at that time. Recent increased awareness of environmental issues and the benefits of advanced technology vehicles have reinvigorated an interest in the electric vehicle market. As a result, Toyota will bring a small, urban commuter lithium-ion BEV to market in model year 2012.

Battery technology has progressed significantly in the time since the RAV4 EV and e-com programs. But major challenges still remain. The cost of lithium-ion batteries needs to be reduced significantly, or a more affordable alternative developed.

Like hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, battery electrics will require the creation of infrastructure for recharging on the go. This issue of range is also a challenge to overcome. Even at 100 miles, BEVs as a primary mode of transportation do not yet offer what most consumers see as true mobility.

Toyota believes these are hurdles that will be cleared. For the last decade its focus has been to concentrate on a comprehensive advanced technology strategy including BEVs, PHVs, and FCHVs. Common to all three is the move to electrification, the full commitment to advanced battery technology and how lessons learned from conventional hybrid R&D have given Toyota a leg-up on all three.

The 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHV) made its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Built specifically to support a global demonstration program that begins this month, the Prius PHV is based on the third-generation Prius. It contains a first generation lithium-ion battery that enables all-electric operation at higher speeds and longer distances than the conventional Prius hybrid. When fully charged, the vehicle is targeted to achieve a maximum electric-only range of approximately 13 miles and will be capable of achieving highway speeds up to 60 mph in electric-only mode. For longer distances, the Prius PHV reverts to “hybrid mode” and operates like a regular Prius. This ability to utilize all-electric power for short trips or hybrid power for longer drives alleviates the issue of limited cruising range encountered with pure electric vehicles.

Beginning later this month, a total of 350 vehicles will begin delivery in Japan and Europe in support of model programs with business and government partners aimed at raising societal awareness of, and preparedness for, this important new technology.

Then beginning early next year, 150 vehicles will start arriving in the U.S., where they will be placed in regional clusters with select partners for market/consumer analysis and technical demonstration.

On the consumer side, the U.S. program will allow Toyota to gather real world vehicle-use feedback to better understand customer expectations for plug-in technology. On the technical side, the program aims to confirm, in a wide variety of real world applications, the overall performance of first-generation lithium-ion battery technology, while spurring the development of public-access charging station infrastructure.

All vehicles will be equipped with data retrieval devices which will monitor activities such as how often the vehicle is charged and when; whether the batteries are depleted or being topped off during charging; trip duration, all-EV driving range, combined mpg and so on.

In October, Toyota announced its first regional program partnership with Xcel Energy’s SmartGridCity program in Boulder, Colo. Ten PHVs will be placed with Boulder residents who will participate in an interdisciplinary research project coordinated by the University of Colorado at Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), a new joint venture between the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

RASEI, Xcel Energy and TMS will use this program to gather data on vehicle performance and charging patterns, consumer behavior and preferences, as well as electric utility/customer interactions. The locale offers the additional benefit of monitoring high altitude, cold climate performance of Toyota’s first generation lithium-ion battery.

Additional partners will be announced soon. Regional programs are currently slated for California, Washington D.C., New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania. Each placement scenario will have a variety of ‘use cases’ or driving conditions to gain maximum input to vehicle performance and customer needs.

To assist with customer education, Toyota has launched a PHV demonstration program website – www.priusphv.com. At the site, visitors can learn more about the technology, follow the program’s progress and, once the vehicles are deployed, track the performance of the demonstration program fleet. This transparent communication of vehicle performance and real world data will allow customers to make informed decisions when considering the purchase of a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

The Battery
The battery powering the Prius PHV is the first lithium-ion drive-battery developed by Toyota and its joint venture battery production company, Panasonic Electric Vehicle Energy (PEVE). In early November, PEVE began producing the first of more than 500 lithium batteries on a dedicated assembly line at its Teiho production facility in Japan.

PEVE is the world’s leading producer of nickel-metal hydride batteries for automotive drive applications, having surpassed two million units in total production volume. Nickel-metal batteries are ideal for mass producing affordable conventional hybrid vehicles due to their low cost, excellent quality, high reliability and moderate-demand charge-sustaining operation. Lithium-ion batteries, on the other hand, are more promising for pure electric and plug-in hybrid applications which require higher energy density to meet the higher demands of charge-depleting operation (large swings in charge/discharge). And, although lithium-ion batteries are less expensive in terms of materials, they are more expensive than nickel-metal in terms of production costs.

This first-generation lithium battery has undergone more than three years of coordinated field testing in Japan, North America and Europe in a wide variety of climatic environments and driving conditions. Using approximately 150 conventional hybrids (mostly Prius), the field test vehicles logged well over a million combined miles. In the end, the battery was deemed both reliable and durable, confirming that it could indeed be used in conventional hybrid applications in the future, depending on further developments in cost reduction.

The battery will now be placed into service in the 500 Prius PHVs dedicated to Toyota’s global demonstration program which begins in December. Operating in a more severe charge-depleting mode, the battery’s overall performance in a broad range of vehicle-use applications will be confirmed.

In EV mode the vehicle has a cruising range of 23.4 km (under the JC08 Japanese test cycle) and top cruising speeds up to 100 km/h.

Exterior
The vehicle comes in Light Blue Mica Metallic—exclusive to the Prius Plug-in Hybrid—while the side-view mirrors, door handles and trim around rear license plate is in high-gloss silver. This color combination creates a cutting-edge image befitting such a next-generation vehicle.

A standard Prius Plug-in Hybrid decal (suggested) placed on both sides of the vehicle further distinguishes the vehicle from other grades of the Prius. Vehicle-exclusive emblems also feature on the fender and charging port lid.

Displays for PHV-specific Information
Special selectable screens that display information for PHV operation have been added to the Prius-base car navigation system and the Eco-Drive Monitor. The screens display information to assist EV-mode driving (using battery power only), as well as provide an enjoyable way to check battery-charge level and resulting fuel consumption.

Energy Monitor Screen displays possible in EV mode driving range
EV-Drive Indicator on the Hybrid System Indicator Screen also indicates possible EV cruising range; driver notified of potential accelerator use with current battery charge level, thus supporting environmentally friendly driving through use of EV mode
Electric Vehicle Cruising Ratio Screen—exclusive to Prius Plug-in Hybrid—displays difference between driving in EV mode (using battery power only) and driving in HV mode (using both gasoline engine and battery power)

Charging the PHEV battery uses about 3.56 kWh- roughly the equivalent of running a PC and monitor for 13 hours or so. Tests done thus far indicate that the PHEV will average roughly 130 mpg.