Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Vehicles - Archived Discussions Hybrids in the News 
5290 messages, Last post on Oct 25, 2006 at 8:37 AM
You are in the Hybrid Vehicles - Archived Discussions Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
This discussion is ARCHIVED. To reactivate the discussion, post a request in the Lost? Ask the Hybrids Host for directions! discussion.
|
It's "Energy Theme Week" in the House of Representatives. Does this mean another hybrid tax credit is on the way? http://www.detnews.com/2004/editorial/0406/06/a16-174484.htm kirstie_h Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host |
|
|
|
|
headline this week: there are now 20,000 owners on a waiting list for a Prius. They cite dealers that are no longer taking orders because they are too backed up and only receive one per month. Question is, what is going on here? That number of Prii is 40% of the first-year projected sales. Either Toyota has artificially limited the production numbers so much it has shot itself in the foot, or it has massively underestimated the demand for such a vehicle and should raise the price 25-30% so it can afford to build more of them. Imagine what demand it might unleash if you could actually walk onto a dealer's lot and drive off in a Prius. Plenty of people, I am sure, are turned off by waiting lists, and probably turn elsewhere for a car when they hear about them.
|
|
|
Replying to: nippononly (Jun 08, 2004 8:47 am) And there is nothing they can do to speed up the delivery process either. Third-Party supply contracts have them locked in to specific deliver amounts. Bummer, eh? Realistically though, they are still way ahead of the rest of the industry. At least they had a product developed to deal with the sudden and unexpected gas price increase. By the way, Ford will only be offering 30,000 hybrids for the 2005 model year. JOHN |
|
|
|
|
article this week talks about how automakers are insisting that the high gas prices are not affecting peoples' buying decisions, but car dealers claim they ARE seeing a shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles, or at least away from real gas hogs. Where I live, it has been hovering at $2.40/gallon for 87 octane for quite some time. They should drop whetever else is built at that factory and double Prius production. Gas will dip in price after the summer - they should grab the iron while it is hot. Surely they could find a source of extra parts delivery too.
|
|
|
> Surely they could find a source of extra parts delivery too. Sorry, no cigar. Some parts are quite unique (for example, the battery-pack modules). No one else has the COPYRIGHT to make them. Thankfully, the components are interchangable, so they can be shared among several models of vehicle. That means the mass-production, high-volume ability is very realistic. But even in the computer industry, the fastest response to a grand-scale shortage (like the LCD recently) is 3 years. JOHN |
|
|
A magazine reporter would like to find car buyers who considered an SUV, but ended up going with a regular car because of gas mileage concerns. He's not looking for hybrid buyers necessarily, just folks who rejected SUVs because gas prices are so high. Please respond to jfallon  edmunds.com with your daytime phone number and a few details about your decision by Monday, June 14, 2004. Thanks, Jeannine Fallon PR Director Edmunds.com |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: nippononly (Jun 08, 2004 1:36 pm) Prius is produced in Tsutsumi plant assembly line 2 along with Camry, Lexus ES330 and Japanese Allion/Premio mid-size sedans. Assembly process is tightly integrated to produce Prius every-other-car sequence. This process allows a smooth work flow to roll out a car every 61 seconds. Source: Automotive Engineering International Magazine (March 2004) Dropping whatever else would lower productivity from the assembly line 2. Toyota needs to build a new assembly plant just for hybrids, and design a new assembly process to achieve what you are asking. I believe, the way Toyota currently boosting Prius production is by going overtime with three shifts from the line 2. That means, they are also forced to produce more Camrys, ES330s, and Allions. I wouldn't be surprise if there are discounts on those cars. Dennis |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: john1701a (Jun 08, 2004 12:01 pm) > in to specific deliver amounts. Bummer, eh? WHAT? Where did Toyota ever say that??
|
|
|
|
well, the world could probably bear a few more Camrys as the price for increasing Prius production!  Seriously, though, you are right about building a new factory just for hybrids. The demand is obviously there to sell these things at a somewhat higher price and profit from each sale. And they have to strike while the iron is hot - ten years from now, there will be some other fuel efficiency tech just over the horizon, and a heck of a lot more competition in hybrids from other automakers. Now is the time. On my way to Yosemite last weekend, I passed several gas stations where 87 was over $3/gallon. Gas prices will stay high for the time being, I am sure. Now is the time. |
|
| but 2 of the discussions from the Hybrid Vehicles board are on the Top 10 active list on the TH front page. | |
You are here:
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Vehicles - Archived Discussions Hybrids in the News
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
