Next Prius will cost less, get better fuel economy, Toyota engineer says

DETROIT -- The next Toyota Prius will get "significantly better fuel economy in a more compact package that is lighter weight and lower cost," the Prius program's chief engineer said."The performance of this next generation of powertrains will reflect significant advances in battery, electric motor and gas engine technologies," said Satoshi Ogiso, managing officer of Toyota Motor Corp.While the hybrid components will be shrunk in the next-generation Prius, the size and interior packaging of the vehicle itself is not getting smaller, Ogiso said.As for fuel economy, Toyota is looking at improving its current 50 mpg to near 55 mpg, although Ogiso equated improving Prius fuel economy by 10 percent to that of Usain Bolt shaving a full second off the world-record 100 meter dash.Although Ogiso declined to confirm launch timing, he said Prius cycles have traditionally have been six years long -- which would make for a spring 2015 U.S. launch.Ogiso said the next-generation hybrid batteries will have higher energy density. Toyota is developing current lithium-ion and nickel-metal-hydride battery technologies, as well as future batteries based on solid-state, lithium-air and magnesium chemistries.The next-generation Prius electric motors will provide more power in a smaller package, while the gasoline engine will be more efficient. The engine will have thermal efficiency above 40 percent, which would make it the world's most efficient, Ogiso said at a global press briefing here.Ogiso said Toyota will also begin testing in 2014 a wireless battery charging system, without need for a cable, for a future plug-in Prius.The Prius will be the lead vehicle for Toyota's New Global Architecture platform, with a lower center of gravity and increased structural rigidity, Ogiso said.Toyota also is making advances in hydrogen fuel-cell technology. The fuel cell vehicle, to be unveiled at November's Tokyo Motor Show, develops 3kW per liter of power density in its fuel cell stack.Supercapacitor technologies seen in Toyota's TS030 Le Mans racecar are being investigated as well. While very quick to charge and discharge powerful bursts of electrical energy, which makes them perfect for sports car applications, their energy storage capacity must be improved for it to work in a street-legal car, Ogiso said.

Next Prius will cost less, get better fuel economy, Toyota engineer says

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