Prius C - Baby of the Family

Toyota released photos of the Prius C yesterday. The car will be formally introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month and will be available at dealerships in 2012. The question is, why didn't they think of this sooner?

The Prius, Toyota's hybrid vehicle, is the poster child for high efficiency driving. It's by far the largest selling hybrid and is almost the generic name for gas/electric vehicles--like "Kleenex" for tissues or "iPod" for MP3 player. Expanding the family makes good marketing sense, since the name is already familiar and associated with high efficiency motoring.

One way to give a car higher fuel efficiency is to make it smaller and lighter. That's why a car like the excellent Mazda2 can get superior mileage without the extra cost, complexity and weight of a hybrid. Remember -- a hybrid has to use a gas engine and an electric motor -- and all the technology that links them together, including extra-large batteries and the regenerative braking system.

All that being said, the Prius C (compact?) will be smaller and lighter than the standard Prius, which actually is much larger than you might think (check out the back seat and cargo capacity). Based on the subcompact Yaris platform, the Prius C should already be pretty efficient just by its size and weight. If the standard Prius can average 50 miles per gallon, could the new baby Prius get 60? If so, it would immediately carve itself a nice fat slice out of the high efficiency car market. Being smaller and lighter, it should be more affordable too, putting a Prius in even more garages across the U.S. and the world.

The Prius V, a bigger wagon model, just debuted. It's a lovely thing, but with its larger size and greater weight, its fuel economy numbers are lower than a standard Prius (44/40).

I eagerly await a test of the new Prius C and will report on it right here.

Kia Optima Hybrid Another Advance for the Brand

I got a chance tonight to drive Kia's new Optima Hybrid. Just arriving in dealerships now, it offers another choice in the green midsize sedan field. While its 35 City, 40 Highway mileage is less than, say, a Prius, it is fully competitive with cars like the Camry Hybrid or the Ford Fusion Hybrid.

And what a nice package it is. I cruised along effortlessly hearing practically nothing. Like a full-time hybrid should do, it alternates between gas engine, electric motor or both--and neither at stops.

Kia has introduced seven new cars since the sporty Soul arrived in March of 2009, essentially remaking the brand. With exciting interior and exterior styling by led by former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, and lots of standard equipment for a good price, Kia has grown each of the 17 years since opening shop in the U.S. in 1994. Kia's market share, while small, has gone up significantly, making Kia one of the big success stories of the last few troubled years for the auto industry.

Prices are quite reasonable, starting at $27,250, including shipping, for the standard hybrid. With the $5,000 Hybrid Premium Technology Package, you get a panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled seats, heated rear seats and steering wheel, a navigation system and more.

I'll have more to say when I've spent a week with this car.

Fill it Up With Hydrogen, Please

Last week, Toyota opened the first hydrogen fueling station in the U.S. fed directly from an active industrial hydrogen pipeline. The station, located in Torrance, California next to Toyota's sales and marketing headquarters, is a collaborative effort between Toyota, Air Products, Shell, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Toyota will use the Shell hydrogen station for fueling its hydrogen-powered vehicles in its fuel cell hybrid demonstration program. And, as a friendly gesture, they will let other manufacturers' fuel cell vehicles in the Los Angeles area pull up to the pump.

With this new station, the City of Torrance becomes part of the California Hydrogen Highway initiative, which aims to create clean air solutions and develop new technology jobs across the state.

Read Toyota's press release for more details.