Talk of Tacoma powertrain upgrade from head guy at Toyota US...

I was told that real world mileage on the XC90 hybrid (which I considered buying before I settled on the taco) was not nearly as good as advertised, because it's range is pretty short, and it only gets ~25 mpg in gas mode. Are there other models that are better?

The Prius Prime gets like 133 eMPG in electric mode while still getting ~45 in gas mode.

 

Why not? Hybrid does not necessarily mean weak. No ones going to call a Porsche 918 spyder lame because it's a hybrid. That thing pushes 800 hp, 900+ lb*ft of torque and gets 22 mpg in gas mode and 68 eMPG in electric mode. You could put 1/2 that powertrain in a Tacoma and you not only have a performance improvement, but also a lot better gas mileage. Oh and taco lean? Forget about it. Balance the truck with batteries.

edit to add: Also, the truck would be able to handle a huge inverter since it is already set up to handle a high-load electric motor. So you could power something like an air conditioner or use it as a backup generator for minimal cost. Imagine a truck owner being able to run an extension cable to power his table saw just by turning his truck on. Or even better, without even turning it on, because the battery is charged. I would think there's a huge market for that.

 

Upcoming Ford Ranger Raptor to rely on 2-liter turbodiesel engine
Yes, diesel, you read that right

Reports from the Land Down Under are saying that the upcoming Ford Ranger Raptor will be a diesel.

According to The Motor Report and Drive, the performance Ranger ute which will inherit the Raptor nameplate is coming to the market with diesel power.

To be more precise, a 2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that has its output undisclosed for now. However, the same reports claim the engine would fit under Ford’s EcoBlue diesel umbrella and would make at least 150 kW (200 hp) and 470 Nm (347 lb-ft) of twist courtesy of two turbochargers.

If that’s true, these figures would match the levels of grunt of the existing 3.2-liter five-cylinder turbo diesel available for current Ranger models.

Also on the mechanical side, we could see the ten-speed automatic gearbox handling the powerplant’s resources and an updated suspension system (maybe featuring the Fox shocks already used by the Ford F-150 Raptor), four-wheel disc brakes and extra body armor.

Do note that the Ranger Raptor’s R&D works are coordinated by Ford Australia’s engineering division so the power ute is likely to debut on the Aussie market first – maybe mid-2018 before making the jump to the US of A in 2019.


https://drivemag.com/news/upcoming-ford-ranger-raptor-to-rely-on-2-liter-turbodiesel-engine

 

Jaguar and Toyota aren't in F1

BMW , Porsche and Mercedes set to join FE

 

Depends. If the stupid keep controlling the conversation then yes, maybe. However, the pendulum always swings back and forth. Right now it is pegged at the far left in the land of foolishness. A correction is due now, so I believe the minority claiming to posses common sense but lacking in it will soon be pushed back into being inconsequential, like they should be.

Remember, it was tried before, and the technology hasn't progressed all that much in 80 years.

 

This is exactly why SR5 is Bae. Very little frills.

 

Legit

 

This chart [also] shows a nearly identical +1000% growth. If you're attempting to disprove something, I'm not sure what it is. Numbers are numbers.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

That article is more than likely about the rest of the world ranger raptor. I highly doubtful the US will get that motor emission laws are too strict

 

Paging Mr Chile Verde....

If you frame the argument in purely environmental parameters, maybe.
There are many reasons why the technology is moving towards EV.
Autonomous vehicle emergence being one of many.
We all have points of view, and no one can accurately (100%) predict what will happen tomorrow, so 20 years, yeah, anybody's guess. These are interesting times though.

 

You are right, they left F1 some years ago. Aren't Toyota fielding a WEC hybrid, though?

 

Yes

 

Toyota engineers would probably put them all on the driver's side.

 

Still has a lot of options on it that are now standard. I remember when you had to order AC, Power Steering, Power Windows/Locks, etc.

To be fair, everywhere else in the World Toyotas are THE work truck...but were never really accepted as work trucks by the American consumer, they tried in the early years but pretty much failed. They were and still are pretty much a run around play truck here in the US, why we get the dumb down version of the HiLux. The 3rd gen shows that even more...big bloated machismo body, but no substance, at least they give us crappy gas mileage to go along with the chest puffing.

The only reason I am still considering another Toyota is the reliability and one of the few 4WD's that is still available with a manual trans. If they go hybrid, I see the manny disappearing altogether. Honda did manage to have a manny with their reincarnation of the CRX, the Hybrid the CRZ...highly doubt Toyota will follow suit.

 

Toyota sends me surveys all the time asking what I like about my truck, what I don't, what's important to me, and what I want to have available in the next version.

The last survey was about the powertrain. They were trying to figure out if there was any interest in either a diesel or hybrid system. I honestly don't want a hybrid and am indifferent about the diesel but the fact that they were trying to gauge support for the options tells me that they're seriously considering it.

If they weren't, why ask?

 

I can't see them using the Highlander ('17 Sienna) transmission as that is a transversely (FWD based) mounted unit when they already have an 8 speed for a longitudinal (RWD) application in the Lexus LX570 and the Land Cruiser (if I am not mistaken) and that transmission is the same size as the 6 speed in the 3rd gen taco.

 

This is the AA8xx series transmissions. There are a couple variants, I think the 200 series Cruiser URJ200 would get the AA80F and a 2GR-FKS would get the AA81x since the Lexus GS (2GR-FSE) gets the AA81E. I do not know interchangeability.

 

Came across this, can't tell if it's been posted already since it's over a year old.

http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/blog/toyota-tacoma-tundra-8-speed-transmission/

 

Believe that is more about the power of the oil industry keeping other technology beat down.

Nikola Tesla he wanted free wireless energy for everyone. Industrial leaders/owners certainly don't want that as there is no profit to had if you give it away...

 

Chart is meant to show that market share is roughly 2% right now. Ie, very few cars on the market are HEV. I don't see growth in next 10 years swinging so much that ICE cars can be banned.