With a whole host of automakers investing in battery powered EVs and hydrogen fuel cell cars, some may say that the era of the hybrid is on the wane. But that's not the case, according to Takeshi Uchiyamada, father of the Prius hybrid and Toyota's chairman.
Toyota obviously has a lot of reasons to back up the Prius. Since it was introduced, the model has sold over 3 million units, and is one of the most recognizable cars on the road. On top of that, it has stellar gas mileage with its innovative gasoline-electric powertrain that makes it a better pick than EVs and hydrogen models.
"Some people say hybrid vehicles such as the Prius are only a bridge to the future. But we think it could be a long bridge and a very sturdy one," said Mr. Uchiyamada, speaking at the Economic Club of Washington D.C. "There are many more gains we can achieve with hybrids."1
Of course, that doesn't mean that Mr. Uchiyamada isn't investing in hydrogen for the long term. The automaker is currently working on their own iteration of an H2 auto, which the chairman is quite excited about.
"I personally expect a lot from this hydrogen fuel cell technology," Mr. Uchiyamada went on. "Perhaps 15 years from now, we can meet again here in Washington and we will know exactly which system has prevailed."2
Fifteen years is a long time to wait, and while we're pretty excited for the future here at Dayton Toyota, we think that it's a bit too long to wait when you're considering a new car. Drop by showroom in South Brunswick, NJ and sign up for a test drive and you'll see just what Mr. Uchiyamada means.
Source: 1, 2 http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/tmc+chairman+uchiyamada+hybrid+future.htm
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