Toyota to show new BEV?

[doug]

Toyota iQ EV Wont Be Offered For Private Sale. Public Charging Chaos To Blame? | The Truth About Cars

... Toyota, fearful of getting caught in a bad bet if the SAE chooses an alternative standard, is not fitting its Tesla-developed RAV4 EV or iQ EV with a DC fast-charging port until the SAE commits.

Seems a bad call to me. Given the short range, they should go ahead and put a CHAdeMO port on it. That gives drivers the option of using it if it's available and Toyota can study the usage data. They can change to the SAE combo port in following model years if/when it ever gets approved.

 

[Eberhard]

Its all part of the story, why carmaker are fighting agains electric cars. From noise issues to charging standards. They simply wont them. They don't want to loose their investment in ICE cars.

 

[doug]

Review of the ICE version:
Toyota's tiny Scion iQ is fun, cheap and drives nice - USATODAY.com

I wouldn't exactly call it cheap (you can probably get a more functional ICE for less money), but it does look like fun.

Jack Kevorkian likes it.

 

[SByer]

Its all part of the story, why carmaker are fighting agains electric cars. From noise issues to charging standards. They simply wont them. They don't want to loose their investment in ICE cars.

I strongly agree; I think it's why Toyota basically let their hybrid technology stagnate after good initial development. I think any large company tends to grow anti-bodies within that fight against anything changing the status quo. Heck, just look to Mazda's ill-informed statements for clear evidence that facts don't really matter when trying to preserve what they know.

 

[doug]

Another review of the ICE version:
Pre-Production Review: Scion iQ | The Truth About Cars

 

[TEG]

 

[Lloyd]

Maybe they should go bigger!

 

[Doug_G]

What's the enormous lead-acid battery for? Cranking the starter???

 

[TEG]

Yeah, that seems unreasonably large. The LEAF has a much smaller aux battery.

 

[Doug_G]

I just realized... the ground terminal on the lead-acid battery isn't connected!?!?

Maybe they just wanted some extra weight. :tongue: Or they wanted people to think it was an "ordinary" car.

 

[vfx]

Disguised to look like a car battery, that's the container for the windshied washer fluid .

 

[TEG]

That photo was probably at a car show where they disabled the vehicle (by unplugging the aux battery) so people wouldn't get in and run the accessories...

 

[VolkerP]

no, that's the DC charging interface. Everybody knows how to handle that pair of jump start cable claws...

 

[dpeilow]

It's in there so you can jump start dead ICE vehicles...

 

[TEG]

Toyota FT-EV III Concept Previews Scion iQ Electric Car: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show | AutoGuide.com News

LEAF like J1772+CHAdeMO in the nose:

 

[stopcrazypp]

Toyota FT-EV III Concept Previews Scion iQ Electric Car: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show | AutoGuide.com News

LEAF like J1772+CHAdeMO in the nose:

Kind of expected given Toyota joined CHAdeMO. Now the big question is what configuration the RAV4-EV will have, although this makes the chances of J1772+CHAdeMO that much higher.

 

[ChadS]

Kind of expected given Toyota joined CHAdeMO.

AFAIK Toyota has only committed to using CHAdeMO in Japan, and this is from the Tokyo Motor Show. So I am still unsure on whether the fleet-only Scion iQ will have a CHAdeMO port in the US.

 

[TEG]

...Toyota has only committed to using CHAdeMO in Japan...

Speaking of which, check this out: http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/11/11/1124.pdf

 

[EVNow]

So I am still unsure on whether the fleet-only Scion iQ will have a CHAdeMO port in the US.

Wouldn't it make sense to offer QC to fleet cars ? That would make them usable in more businesses.

 

[TEG]

This is old, but:
Growing EV Industry Still Divided Over DC Charging | PluginCars.com

...The Toyota RAV4 EV will make its comeback after first being sold 15 years ago. The vehicle won’t be made available to consumers, Yoza said, instead they are focusing on “very strategic applications” such as fleets and car sharing programs. Despite being a BEV that could benefit from fast charging, the RAV4 EV will not include a CHAdeMO charging port. Yoza said Toyota will not offer fast charging on any vehicles until the SAE determines a standard...