Quote:
Originally Posted by Tundrav8yamaha
Heatwave,
Toyota did go on record saying a Diesel is in store for the Tundra and Seq Applications but I'm with you on this does it really madder at this given point given the current situation. I know within my source Toyota has a Hybrid synergy drive in store but there so many obstacles to overcome. Because the large Full sized truck owners and large Suv owners demand Towing the towing figures have to be good in this segment. This requirement also put's the current problem on the batteries and Matching towing figures to gas engines which to some degree ain't going to be close. I know in a past Post you mentioned Batteries and to some degree The cost on replacement goes Into 3 to 7 Grand on average for the battery pack's .Sure you get a Tax credit for one year but that's about all and a HOV lane in your honer 
For example Our Highlander Hybrid EPA figures are 22 to 27 City and 25 Highway. City Mpg tends to be different but it's very much on target from the figures. Do i expect a Full sized Like the Seq to come close to this figure I believe it's possible but Can't count on this just yet. If research has any clues we need to look at Lexus Flagship sedan the Ls 600 H and see how this technology finds it's way on the Tundra and Seq maybe the 8 speed Aisin transmission will make it's way in as well  |
I realize that diesel may be very attractive to some but I think it will have to be designed with fuel efficiency greater than 16/23. If its in the 20/26 range, they'll have a very attractive design even if its $5k more expensive. Its still a very incremental approach to the issue of global warming and escalting energy prices from unstable regimes in the MiddleEast and South America.
I believe the real winner will be a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. I think once they can get battery designs to provide 80-90% charging over 150K miles they will have a hit that will change the marketplace forever. My crystal ball says that with a plug-in hybrid where the 26 gal gas tank is cut in half to save weight and the addition of enough Li-Ion battery capacity to give the Sequoia about a 100 mile range before dropping to 35% battery capacity, you'll have a game-changing design. Toyota is closer than just about any other manufacturer with one of the first roll-outs to be the upcoming plug-in Prius.
Think about it....with a 100 mile electric range plus a reasonably powerful gas engine, you'll have the best of both worlds. Plug-in the car at night (and also at your employer as this will become the fashionable new "employee benefit") and you might get 400, 500, 600 mpgs out of any vehicle. The typical work commute is around 50-60 miles a day.
For most drivers they would run on batteries charged from their house or employer utility (which is either coal - 50%, nuclear - 20% or hydro-electric - 10% generated in the US) and essentially cut their gas useage by 90% while increasing their electric bills. Essentially we'd be transitioning from a 50% foreign based oil energy supply (Venezuela and the MiddleEast) to 100% US domestic based energy supply with a thousand year reserve or longer (for coal, nuclear and hydro).
If this scenarios comes to be, I predict that within 10 years of transitioning to a critical mass of plug-in hybrid technology that gas will plummet in price as drivers simply drive past most gas stations so long as they have a full electric charge on their batteries. Talk about a sweet scenario....