Toyota has some truly ambitious hybrid plans, and aims to eventually offer a hybrid model of each of its vehicles. We’ve recently learned of plans to expand the Prius nameplate into a sub-brand, as well as showcase Toyota’s latest environmentally friendly technology.

Although Toyota is planning on developing new technology for its Prius name, it’s unclear exactly when the new technology will debut. Toyota’s upcoming plug-in hybrid Prius will use lithium-ion battery technology but still feature a parallel hybrid powertrain. Although the plug-in Prius will be able to travel 12 miles on electricity alone, the gasoline engine kicks in to charge the battery and drive the front wheels when the battery is drained. Some newer hybrid systems, such as the one fitted to the Chevrolet Volt, feature a series hybrid drivetrain in which the gasoline engine works as an electric generator but never drives the front wheels.

Toyota has invested several hundred million dollars in its hybrid technology, already over a decade old. The hybrid system in the current Prius uses an Atkinson-cycle, 98-horsepower, 1.8-liter I-4 and a 60-kW (80-horsepower) electric motor, for a total combined system output of 134 horsepower with a continuously variable transmission and nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. The technology has been used in hybrids to maximize fuel economy, but could be altered to create a sporty driving experience.

“Our hybrid technology is adaptable,” Toyota’s powertrain director Gerald Killman told Autocar. “There is flexibility in the application of our hybrid system; we don’t want to develop a new one when we can give ours more character.”

One such application is on the upcoming Lexus CT 200h, which will feature the Prius’ hybrid drivetrain  tuned for a sportier driving feel. Another example is the planned 2013 MR2 replacement which will feature a similar drivetrain to the Prius, but with a 1.5-liter engine, rather than 1.8-liter.

Toyota’s ultimate goal is to develop Prius as a full hybrid lineup featuring the brand’s latest technology. Additionally, by 2020, Toyota aims to offer a hybrid version of every single one of its models. Toyota currently only offers hybrid versions of five of its vehicles, but also offers two hybrid-only models with a third on the way.

Although Toyota’s hybrid powertrain is proven, its technology is becoming increasingly dated. Do you think Toyota should accelerate its battery development program to push out new hybrid technology to keep up with competitors, or is its current hybrid system good enough for now? Techno-geeks, sound off in the comments below.

Source: Autocar

We hear a hybrid Jetta has been confirmed for next year, but big news has also arrived on the electric-vehicle front. Looking to get a good jump in the world of alternative power, Volkswagen is seeking an EV future where the zero-emissions vehicle make up three percent of global sales, hopefully by 2018.

We’ve heard the crew out of Wolfsburg’s first mass-market EV would be based on the 2013 Golf, but the German automaker has plans for a full, global all-electric lineup consisting of the E-Up (based on the Up! minicar), the E-Golf, and the E-Jetta. The three battery-electric vehicles are reputedly due in 2013, and VW boss Martin Winterkorn already has his worldwide sales target.

“We aim to boost the share of e-vehicles in our annual sales to three percent by 2018,” said Winterkorn. “In urban centers, this share could be a lot higher.”

In 2009, Volkswagen, including all sub-brands, sold 6.29 million vehicles around the world. With the namesake Volkswagen brand leading the charge, the Volkswagen Group is aiming to sell over 10 million vehicles globally by 2018, and three percent would be no insignificant sum. To help research and develop higher-capacity and sustainable battery technology, VW has tapped former Tesla CEO Martin Eberhard for his expertise.

“Batteries must not only get smaller and lighter, above all they must get cheaper,” said Eberhard to reporters at a recent VW event. “Ultimately we do see a large percent of our cars as electric drive.”

After being ousted as CEO in November 2007, the Tesla co-founder has since been aligned with VW. Now running a manufacturer battery lab, Eberhard is working on the next generation of vehicular lithium-ion batteries, an endeavor that is receiving major funding from the auto industry as a whole. R&D underway, Eberhard expects to cut into the average cost of the battery, which is currently priced from 500 to 1000 euro ($645 to $1290) per kilowatt-hour.

For comparison, the Tesla Roadster’s lithium-ion battery pack has a capacity of around 53 kilowatt-hours, operates at a nominal voltage of 375V, and can serve up to 200 kilowatts of electric power. At today’s rates, $34,000-$68,000 nets an estimated range of 244 miles on the Roadster, so it comes with little surprise the batteries are an important facet in the EV game.

Volkswagen and Audi both have plans to roll out electric vehicles in the future and, of course, expect hybrids to take on a bigger role as well. And while batteries and generators may not fully sync up with Porsche’s heritage, let’s not rule out the inclusion of the storied brand to the electric game, especially with the Cayenne S Hybrid and the halo-wearing 918 Spyder lending its credentials to the alternative-fuel market.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

General Motors opted out of its New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. joint production facility with Toyota last year, and without GM, Toyota decided the plant wasn’t efficient enough to keep open. Tesla and Toyota, however, announced plans to cooperatively build electric vehicles at the plant.

Tesla and Toyota will leverage each manufacturer’s strengths — Toyota’s size, engineering resources, and supplier base and Tesla’s small, fast product development and electric vehicle technology — to create a team of electric vehicle specialists. Toyota will gain knowledge of newer lithium-ion battery technology as Tesla already has a partnership with Panasonic for the technology and Tesla will learn how to efficiently put vehicles into mass production.

“I sensed the great potential of Tesla’s technology and was impressed by its decision to monozukuri (Toyota’s approach to manufacturing),” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota. “Through this partnership, by working with a venture business such as Tesla, Toyota would like to learn from the challenging spirit, quick decision making, and flexibility that Tesla has.

“Decades ago, Toyota was also born as a venture business. By partnering with Tesla, my hopes is that all Toyota employees will recall that ‘venture business spirit,’ and take on the challenges of the future.”

Tesla’s Model S sedan will likely be the first vehicle to go into production at the facility when it launches in 2012. Tesla estimates production volumes of around 20,000 units per year and it will likely be joined by platform derivatives and possibly the Roadster. Toyota also has plans to put an electric vehicle into production in 2012, but has not said any more.

In addition to working together on electric vehicle development, Toyota said it will buy into Tesla. Toyota is set to invest $50 million in Tesla in exchange for common stock once Tesla completes its IPO.

“Toyota is a company founded on innovation, quality, and commitment to sustainable mobility. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Toyota would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla,” said Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. “We look forward to learning and benefiting from Toyota’s legendary engineering, manufacturing, and production expertise.”

Source: Tesla, Toyota