Toyota Forges Ahead To Build A Better Prius With Solid State Battery Technology

I am a retired mechanical engineer. I know the ins and outs of EV's and all the other electrified vehicles. I am not so much loyal to a brand as I am to companies that make superior products at reasonable prices. Toyota just happens to make the best vehicles for me at this time. Most Asian makers make quality vehicles at reasonable prices. Hyundai and Kia are threatening to top Toyota, the way they're rapidly advancing.

Sure, PHEV's will use gasoline instead of relying on charging stations to replenish their batteries. That's a big plus in my book. No need for charging stations. Also a big plus is the ability to plug them in at home or at places other than at charging stations for the purpose of relying as much on electric-only driving as possible. A tank of gas can last a long time if you do a lot of short daily trips around town. They're also great in big, crowded, polluted cities because they don't pollute while in electric-only mode. It wouldn't be difficult to put a big enough battery in future PHEV's to make them exceed 50 miles on electric-only power. And then there's that 550-600 mile range on road trips.

In a quality ICE vehicle, oil and filter changes are every 10k miles. Modern engines need no maintenance other than an air filter change - a 5-minute job. Automatic transmissions need no maintenance. Modern spark plugs last well over 100k miles. No need to tune engines. It's all electronic.

I do not like the current EV's because these Li-ion batteries have to many faults. However, put a Li-ion battery about 1/3 the size of the one in an EV with a 225 mile range and you've got a very quick PHEV. Recharging times are irrelevant in a PHEV, thanks to the engine. Batteries weigh only 1/3 as much in a PHEV, but are offset by the weight of the other components. Still, PHEV's are not going to weigh as much as long-distance EV's in their class. If battery prices keep declining, PHEV's won't depreciate nearly as much as EV's because of their much smaller batteries. And then there's that $7500 federal tax credit. The 2021 RAV4 Prime will be eligible for all of it, making it a real bargain that will hold its value. Ditto for PHEV's from other manufacturers with a battery big enough to get the max. PHEV's with smaller batteries will still get a good chunk of it

When solid-state arrives, not only will EV's benefit, PHEV's, hybrids, and FCV's will also benefit by these lighter, more powerful batteries. And if solid-state batteries are expensive at first, PHEV's that contain them won't see nearly as much of a price increase as EV's. I'll be looking for an EV with a solid-state battery when the time is right. PHEV's will have to be much better than the 2021 RAV4 to keep me out of a solid-state EV. I won't mind paying a premium for a solid-state EV if it's as good as expected.

Sir, you might want to delete the part about still having to have brake jobs. You might consider that any car will need to have brakes, and therefore need some kind of brake job throughout the life of the vehicle.

I agree that hybrids can be viewed as no proper solution but we're at least 10 years away from any idealistic EV turning point that is viable for all markets. In particular, Canada in which I am from. We are a country of the north and plagued with the reality of harsh climates. Winter can be brutally cold and unforgiving due to north polar winds. Our country needs tailored engineered vehicle solutions to compensate and this is just not happening right now. The only saving grace would be solid state battery technology because of its solid lithium compound structure that would function efficiently in colder weather situations. Cars are also not a efficient options in Canada. Due to our thaw-frost weather cycle our roads get battered and the maintenance is almost impossible to keep properly paved so our city terrain is horrendous to navigate on during any season. For this reason, most drivers opt for SUV's and this is where the market needs focus. New battery technology needs to be efficient and light weight to gain real-world economy ratings that will thrust buyers into a new and trusted market. Toyota has a lot of expectation to contend with moving forward but I believe they are on the right track in the next years to come between 2020 - 2025. They understand the global market needs and not just silicon valley like Tesla where their vehicle with present lithium batteries perform optimally in warm climates and do little to nothing reliable in Canadian cold weather. On that matter, my biggest concern is for other auto makers that will simply fall behind unless they start merging with prominent solid state battery companies. I'm looking at Mazda, Subaru etc... they won't survive.