Toyota Minivan Hybrid
Hybrid Cars from Hybrid Hippie!
Toyota last week began selling its completely redesigned Estima Hybrid minivan.
Toyota introduced the first-generation Estima Hybrid in 2001 as the worlds first hybrid minivan. This Estima hybrid was based on the THS-C (Toyota Hybrid System-CVT). THS-C incorporated a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and electric motor for front-wheel power; E-Four, which regulates a rear-mounted, rear-wheel-propelling electric motor and coordinates electric power distribution to all four wheels; and ECB (Electronically Controlled Brake system), for wheel-by-wheel brake control and optimum management of the regenerative brake system. This first-generation hybrid minivan had a rated fuel consumption of 18 kilometers/liter in the Japanese test cycle—about 42 mpg US. (The Japanese and US test cycles are not the same, with the Japanese cycle producing a better fuel economy figure than would the US EPA tests.) The new Estima Hybrid features an application of Toyotas THS II system, optimized for use on a minivan, as well as an exhaust heat recovery system that uses thermal energy from the exhaust to heat engine coolant. This reduces engine warm-up time, which enables the engine to shut off earlier when idling, contributing to further improvements in actual fuel economy. The hybrid powertrain consists of three main elements: the 2.4-liter engine, the THS II front motor, and the E-Four rear motor. The new Estima offers fuel consumption of 20 kilometers per liter in the Japanese cycle, an 11% improvement over its predecessor. (The 20 km/L rating works out to about 47 mpg US on the Japanese cycle.) The original Estima hybrid was Toyotas second best-selling hybrid through mid-2005, until sales from the Rx400 h/Harrier overtook it. However, at launch Toyota had said it expected to sell 1,000 units per month. Instead, from June 2001 through October 2005, the car had sold 26,900 units, which works out to about 500 units per month. For the new Estima, Toyota has set a monthly target of 700 units. The big question for minivan buyers in the US, of course, is when a hybrid version of Toyotas North American Sienna (the Sienna minivan is larger than the Estima) will make it to market. The transposition of the Japanese hybrid van to the US is likely not that straightforward for Toyota, however.
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Toyota last week began selling its completely redesigned Estima Hybrid minivan.
Toyota introduced the first-generation Estima Hybrid in 2001 as the worlds first hybrid minivan. This Estima hybrid was based on the THS-C (Toyota Hybrid System-CVT). THS-C incorporated a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and electric motor for front-wheel power; E-Four, which regulates a rear-mounted, rear-wheel-propelling electric motor and coordinates electric power distribution to all four wheels; and ECB (Electronically Controlled Brake system), for wheel-by-wheel brake control and optimum management of the regenerative brake system. This first-generation hybrid minivan had a rated fuel consumption of 18 kilometers/liter in the Japanese test cycle—about 42 mpg US. (The Japanese and US test cycles are not the same, with the Japanese cycle producing a better fuel economy figure than would the US EPA tests.) The new Estima Hybrid features an application of Toyotas THS II system, optimized for use on a minivan, as well as an exhaust heat recovery system that uses thermal energy from the exhaust to heat engine coolant. This reduces engine warm-up time, which enables the engine to shut off earlier when idling, contributing to further improvements in actual fuel economy. The hybrid powertrain consists of three main elements: the 2.4-liter engine, the THS II front motor, and the E-Four rear motor. The new Estima offers fuel consumption of 20 kilometers per liter in the Japanese cycle, an 11% improvement over its predecessor. (The 20 km/L rating works out to about 47 mpg US on the Japanese cycle.) The original Estima hybrid was Toyotas second best-selling hybrid through mid-2005, until sales from the Rx400 h/Harrier overtook it. However, at launch Toyota had said it expected to sell 1,000 units per month. Instead, from June 2001 through October 2005, the car had sold 26,900 units, which works out to about 500 units per month. For the new Estima, Toyota has set a monthly target of 700 units. The big question for minivan buyers in the US, of course, is when a hybrid version of Toyotas North American Sienna (the Sienna minivan is larger than the Estima) will make it to market. The transposition of the Japanese hybrid van to the US is likely not that straightforward for Toyota, however.
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posted by Car Boys Media @ 9:31 AM
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