The Prius is suffering from an identity crisis, which could lead to its death, and we don't want that to happen. The problem is Toyota not trying to go electric, even though it's the biggest automaker in the world (sometimes).
But their excuse is that everybody is now selling hybrids, so the same stuff that took over California two decades ago just isn't going to work.
Of course, it's not going to work! Just look at Apple - the company that invented the smartphone is now losing to some Chinese brands. So the lesson is that you've got to take that cash and put it into something that makes profits.
The automotive equivalent of the superconductor is the SUV. If it's tall, people will pay extra for it, but there's still no way to have one that's green and affordable. We have things like the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, but those don't exactly reinvent the wheel. Instead, Toyota needs to develop hybrid technology that's specifically tailored to the SUV.
And that already exists in the Lexus RX, one of the most popular luxury vehicles in America. So it's no surprise that this Prius SUV rendering looks like a Lexus too. Kleber Silva took the features off the 2019 Prius and added them to a taller vehicle, the result being something that looks cheap and relatively frugal.
Will turning the Prius into an SUV fix the sales problem? We think it won't. Japan still buys about 20,000 units per month, so you can't mess with that. Likewise, the RAV4 is Toyota's bread and butter model which shouldn't be competed with. In our mind, the only solution is to have a $30,000 Prius EV with a huge battery and no-nonsense, practical interior. But they are way behind VW and the Koreans when it comes to battery development.
Of course, it's not going to work! Just look at Apple - the company that invented the smartphone is now losing to some Chinese brands. So the lesson is that you've got to take that cash and put it into something that makes profits.
The automotive equivalent of the superconductor is the SUV. If it's tall, people will pay extra for it, but there's still no way to have one that's green and affordable. We have things like the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, but those don't exactly reinvent the wheel. Instead, Toyota needs to develop hybrid technology that's specifically tailored to the SUV.
And that already exists in the Lexus RX, one of the most popular luxury vehicles in America. So it's no surprise that this Prius SUV rendering looks like a Lexus too. Kleber Silva took the features off the 2019 Prius and added them to a taller vehicle, the result being something that looks cheap and relatively frugal.
Will turning the Prius into an SUV fix the sales problem? We think it won't. Japan still buys about 20,000 units per month, so you can't mess with that. Likewise, the RAV4 is Toyota's bread and butter model which shouldn't be competed with. In our mind, the only solution is to have a $30,000 Prius EV with a huge battery and no-nonsense, practical interior. But they are way behind VW and the Koreans when it comes to battery development.