Hybrids On The Way
Toyota believes in the hybrid gas/electric powerplant in a big way. Very big. Right now it sells only one hybrid model in the U.S.-the Prius compact car-but by 2015 the company plans to have gas/electric versions of all of its vehicles. That's right. All of them.
"Hybrids are our core technology for the solution of environmental problems," said Masatami Takimoto, Toyota's managing director for engine engineering at a conference in Detroit. That means the fuel-efficient, clean-burning motivation will be used throughout the line, from sports cars to SUVs.
It will have to be, to meet the aggressive goals set by Fujio Cho, president of Toyota in Japan. He wants to sell 300,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide by 2005, including a bunch here in the U.S. No one at Toyota will confirm which vehicles are next in line to receive a hybrid powerplant, but a report in the Chicago Tribune said the next-generation Lexus RX300 is a likely candidate.
Of course, Toyota isn't the only maker exploring the hybrid option. Ford has plans to sell a hybrid Escape SUV by the end of this year, and Dodge is on track to apply some sort of gas/electric powerplant to the Dakota and/or Durango.
Why do hybrid propulsion systems look so good to the auto and truck makers? They use existing technology for one thing, which makes them far more feasible in the short term than other alternative fuel systems (like hydrogen-based fuel cells, which always seem to be "5 to 10 years away"). They also fit well within our current automotive infrastructure. Half of the system is the good ol' gas-powered internal combustion engine. The other half is run by electric batteries that are self-charging, so there's never a need to plug into a charging station as full electric vehicles must do. Yet even though hybrids still use fossil fuels and emit pollutants, they do so at rates far below conventional gasoline engines, so they can be used to meet ever-stricter emissions and fuel economy standards.
Tractech Ships Electric Locker
Heard about the new electric locker from Tractech? The unit, called the Detroit Electrac, operates as either a helical-gear, Truetrac-like limited slip or a fully locked differential, depending on which mode the driver has selected. The shift from LSD to locker happens at the push of a button. A shift fork engages a trigger ring to either lock or unlock the unit.
The first Detroit Electrac lockers, for Dana 44 axles, hit dealer shelves in late 2002. The next application, for Dana 60s, should also be available at your favorite drivetrain supply house by the time you read this.
This Just In...
*The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California has ruled that Suzuki can proceed with a jury trial against the Consumers Union for its defamation of the Samurai. Remember? Consumer Reports tested the mini-ute in 1988 and said it was prone to rolling over. Sales plummeted, Suzuki nearly went belly-up, and the maker moved to sue the organization for what it saw as an invalid test. The lawsuit has been tied up in red tape for years, and it may still be, as CU has asked for a rehearing of the judgment. Can you say "moot point"?
*Ford has again delayed the redesign of the Ranger, says Automotive News. Originally slated for next year, the re-do may now come as late as 2008, as Ford is looking for any way possible to staunch the flow of red ink draining from the Blue Oval. GM and Dodge, on the other hand, plan to introduce all-new midsize pickups in 2004, which could infringe on sales of an outdated Ranger.
*Ford's mighty 6.0L Power Stroke diesel is available only on heavy-duty trucks, but a V-6 version of that engine may come to the light-duty side of the house in a couple of years. Details of the new motor haven't been released, but it will be manufactured by International Truck and Engine Corp., the supplier of the new Power Stroke.