Hybrids were good, but many were hoping for a faster pace of development in this field.
The gist is that if hybrids were good, they are already a decade old technology and we would have liked to have seen more PHEV platforms by now. If the Japanese car makers, led by Toyota and Honda have dominated the small to mid-size hybrid segment, it has also stagnated for a decade. Yes, tweaks and minor performance bumps were achieved but nothing revolutionary. More and more consumers have asked for PHEV with little to show for.
The 2009 Award For Could Have Done More To Introduce PHEVs goes to… Toyota. It might seem we pick on Toyota a lot, but it is because we like them and wish they would step up to the leader image they so cherish. The Prius is fine but with as many PHEV kits as there are on the planet, Toyota could have introduced one easily a year ago. Unfortunately, it has not and the official Prius PHEV will trickle out slowly to fleets next year, meaning we will not see on consumer’s hands before 2011. We feel Toyota could have stamped its leader image in this department but missed the opportunity.
The theories abound as to why Toyota, and even Honda for that matter of fact have been so slow to meet expectation of advanced hybrid platforms. From happy enough to churning out a platform that works and has been developed, to already being number one and have little to fight for, one thing is for certain, any car maker that comes out with a successful PHEV today would please the crowd.
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