A solar-paneled Prius done by Solar Electric Vehicles.
(Credit: SEV)Toyota is developing a solar-powered Prius, the Nikkei newspaper has reported yet again.
It was interesting when we heard about this in July.
But it seems to us that someone over at Toyota has now been fake-leaking/hinting news about a solar-powered Prius in one form or another for at least the last year.
This wonder-car-in-the-making has gone from being a Toyota Prius that uses solar roof panels from Kyocera to power its air conditioning unit, to "a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy" to quote one recent Associated Press article.
You may find it interesting that this rumor always comes floating by on the heels of bad news from Toyota.
In July, it accompanied news of a series of Toyota plant closings/reorganizations in the U.S.
This latest rumor seems to be timed to follow Toyota's December news that it, too, has succumbed to the world auto industry slump, reporting its first annual operating loss in 70 years, and a series of consolidations and changes in its organizational structure.
Of course, there is already an available solar option for some Toyota owners in the U.S.
Solar Electrical Vehicles (SEV) has been offering an after-market Prius solar overhaul since June 2007. It includes a customized solar panel for a Prius roof that can improve the car's efficiency by about 29 percent. SEV also offers kits for the Toyota Highlander, Rav4 EV, and Ford Escape Hybrid.
For those who just like reading about the idea of a solar car, Canadian engineer Marcelo da Luz and his team have been blogging about their attempt to set the world long-distance record for a solar-powered car with the Power of One (Xof1) vehicle.
2008 Toyota Prius Touring Edition.
(Credit: Toyota)Americans will soon have another feel-good reason to buy a Prius.
Prius production in the U.S. will begin in late 2010 at a plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Miss., Toyota announced Thursday.
So, aside from saving on the cost of gas through better gas mileage and raising environmental awareness, buying a Prius will soon be a product made by American workers...or at least assembled by them.
Toyota said the change is in response to consumer demand in North America.
As it's been widely reported, there's been a Prius shortage in the U.S. with some consumers being forced to wait as long as three months and pay as much as $3,000 over sticker price. Even celebrity techies have been told to wait their turn.
Meanwhile, sales of Toyota SUVs have gone down and Toyota is responding to that change as well.
The company is halting production of its Tundra and Sequoia SUVs as of August 8 due to the decrease in consumer demand. Production is scheduled to resume in November and the workers of those plants "will continue to be provided work," Toyota said in a statement.
The Japan-based company also plans to consolidate the production of its Tundra, a full-size pick-up truck produced in both Indiana and Texas, to one plant in San Antonio starting in spring 2009.
"The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production," Jim Wiseman, vice president of external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, said in a statement.
Wiseman also said that the introduction of the Prius into company plant plans is an example of Toyota's long-term commitment to suppliers, workers, and their communities in North America.
There is no word on whether the plant changes will result in the loss of U.S. jobs.
Toyota does produce the Camry hybrid in the U.S. already and that production shall continue, according to the company.
Toyota also announced in early June that it plans to produce a Prius with solar panels as early as 2009 and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle available for purchase in the U.S. in 2010. Toyota, however, has not yet said where the vehicles will be produced.
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