Toyota looking to develop recharging points for plug-in hybrids?

There's been no shortage of news surrounding Toyota and its hybrid plans of late, so it makes perfect sense to hear that the automaker may be on the verge of inking a deal to "develop recharging points for plug-in hybrid electric cars." Reportedly, Toyota and Electricite de France are set to "announce a deal next week to develop electricity infrastructure for the plug-in cars Toyota plans to launch in a few years." Notably, the agreement is only expected to cover France initially, but neighboring countries could be pursued shortly thereafter.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

[Johan S @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:10PM]

Battery interchanges make more sense. Who wants to leave their car for hours while it charges? Aren't battery interchanges (properly implemented - car would need to be designed with easily robotically/mechanically exchangeable batteries) a more sensible idea.

[cmonkey @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:55PM]

The infrastructure cost would be astronomical. Recharging the existing battery is a reasonable idea because the car would be charging overnight (when electricity is cheapest) or while you're working/shopping/whatever.

[humpty @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:13PM]

What we need are electrified slots on the roads that the cars can pick up electricity as it drives over them... sorta like the toy slot cars from the 80's.

[JohnTitor @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:29PM]

or like trains?

[Ellianth @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:29PM]

you're all crazy. What we need is magical four legged animals that we can sit on and ride.

[byaah @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:10PM]

Like.. horses?

[David @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:58PM]

No, dummy, Unicorns!!

Horses aren't magical!!

[Luis F. Vallese @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:05PM]

I agree with Cmonkey. The implementation costs of such technology would be beyond imagination.

[Joel Rivera @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:18PM]

This would be a good idea, hybrids cars are more effecient.

Joel
http://www.best-pixels.com

[kirby @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:34PM]

Man, Hybrid cars are such a scam and everyone is falling for them is literally beyond me. First of all, the cost of a hybrid car is like 2.33$/mile while a damned hummer (I hate them too) is like 1.20$/mile. All this stuff about protecting the planet and by supporting hybrid car's you're actually hurting the planet more--

How you ask?

First of all, there isn't a magic word which make those batteries come out of thin air, to produce the batteries needed for "hybrid cars" it makes more pollution as the process to create them are more polluntant to the earth then what it would normally create by creating a normal gas powered automotive. If you really want to be saving the earth, go support pure car's which run sorely on hydrogen, or at the very least dual hydrogen and gas powered.

*sigh* Well, that's my rant. :D

[Slvrgun @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:49PM]

Last time I checked your Hummer gets 6mpg, meaning you are having to fill up as soon as you leave your drive way.

[kirby @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:53PM]

Slvrgun,

Yes, but that's beside the point. The cost of manufacturing a hummer is substantially cheaper, and more cleaner to the earth then the manufacturing process of a hybrid car, and it's battery technology which people believe is "more appealing/cleaner”.

[Shane @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:45PM]

In the LA area there are already "charging" locations all over the place for the millions of electric cars which never came to fruition.

[Oracle @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:46PM]

The only thing I want to ask Toyota is ... Why hybrid cars have to look so ugly? Can't you just make them look like normal cars? Prius is one unbelievable, ugly thing.

[Stu @ Sep 4th 2007 12:31AM]

Your comments: In the words of Glenn Beck: "Why must all hybrids look like Gay
Spaceships"?


Honda Insight = Gay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight

[Joe @ Sep 4th 2007 4:48PM]

One word: Aerodynamics

anyways STU, I beg to differ way you state the Insight is Gay. That car was meant to do One thing; get over 60 mpg (EPA 08 adj standard), with aftermarket minimal modding taking it up to over 75 mpg (see www.99mpg.com). So what the Insight looks like a bullet and has rear wheel skirts, IT WAS THE FIRST MASS PRODUCED HYBRID IN AMERICA, and even though its no longer produced (as of sept 06), the Insight still has the best gas mileage, even over the pirus

[p.j.m. @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:57PM]

cool

[Gomer @ Sep 4th 2007 12:02AM]

Engadget is giving away a plug in hybrid? C'mon it's midnight =)

[Vincent @ Sep 4th 2007 12:16AM]

ha commenting is fun

[Astav Sacheti @ Sep 4th 2007 12:19AM]

Balh

[adam.gianola @ Sep 4th 2007 12:24AM]

Way to go toyota.

[Aroura Gate @ Sep 4th 2007 12:26AM]

cool

[josejuan05 @ Sep 4th 2007 12:29AM]

Great, if anything ever comes of it. But I'd agree with whoever said that the battery making process does just as much harm to the environment.

[Terry Thomas @ Sep 4th 2007 12:39AM]

Here in Atlanta, Costco stores used to have charging stations in about 4 of the parking spots. But no one was using them so they were removed.

[mark s @ Sep 4th 2007 1:16AM]

i need some new swag please pick me

[Seung-Hwan @ Sep 4th 2007 1:17AM]

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for our.

[Kali K. @ Sep 4th 2007 1:31AM]

testing bah

[Raymond @ Sep 4th 2007 1:50AM]

Woop!

[Naegling @ Sep 4th 2007 2:01AM]

wow

[brett.chandler @ Sep 4th 2007 3:11AM]

Interesting that Toyota for years has discounted the whole "plug-in hybrid" thing. Wonder when they'll have a product for North America?

[Mugetsu @ Sep 4th 2007 7:47AM]

Coolness

[Galley @ Sep 4th 2007 8:24AM]

In brutally cold places like Manitoba and North Dakota many motels have outlets in the parking lots for engine block heaters. Perhaps they could use those.

[Mark @ Sep 4th 2007 1:16PM]

What about charging stations in North America? Oh..that's right...the Canadian and American governments are in bed with the oil companies.

[Clifton Hartsuff @ Sep 4th 2007 8:39PM]

In regards to the Hummer comment listed sometime ago in this feed it is far better to drive a battery filled hybrid simply because the pollution generated is relatively easily contained. There are two major problems with gasoline cars; emissions and consumption. The pollution caused by the millions of cars in this country is poisoning the air and the local environment making asthma and other related problems a serious issue. Battery production contains the pollutants at the source and drastically reduces the amount of emissions released in the atmosphere. As for the consumption issue, America has more than enough spare capacity at night to charge most of the electric cars that might potentially be used as commuter vehicles across the nation. During the day solar and wind power could power these cars while people sit at work. Certainly there are painful aspects to the use of battery technology but until the ultra capacitors are commercially available LI batteries will have to do.