Toyota Industries Corp. (TIC), the parent company of Toyota Motors, has laid plans to develop a solar charging station network throughout Toyota City in the Aichi Prefecture. Twenty-one stations in eleven locations are set to be built by April 2010 after which they will be thoroughly tested with Toyota’s very own Prius fleet.

The stations will be connected to the grid while receiving power generated from its 1.9 kW solar panels and stored in an 8.4 kWh battery. Additionally, the excess power generated can be used to operate other facilities in the system or sold to utility companies.

During the 41st Tokyo Motor Show late October of last year, TIC revealed its ambitions to make these charging stations work seamlessly with the developing charging infrastructure. Standardization is key cog in insuring that the transition for EVs and the like goes as smoothly as possible. Aside from its basic charging functions the charging stand has also been designed to cater to the average consumer. Thus it will support electronic billing and relay basic information such as usage conditions of the charging service and amount of power used.

Although it is a fairly small project at the present moment the success TIC hopes to bring will serve as a springboard from which projects of broader scope can be realized. Its innovation is matched only by its brilliance since it can spawn a new form of covered parking structures. Imagine a parking lot filled with solar charging stations such as these that simultaneously provide shaded parking and a full recharge for your electric car while you work or shop.

Granted this is not a revolutionary invention, but certainly be an imaginative convenience for the coming age of electric vehicles. TIC has also been working tirelessly to upgrade the Prius in time for testing. Some of the upgrades include: smaller onboard chargers with higher efficiency, reduced cooling device by two-thirds, and developing a DC-DC converter.

Honda Insight

For the consumer inclined to buy a hybrid automobile, there are several different options. Many of the main automotive manufactures have at least one hybrid in their lineup these days, in the hope to stay competitive with one another. These hybrids come in all different forms, but the most popular have been those that are mid-sized sedans. Easy to park, easy to look at, easy to drive, the sedan is the car for the every-person who needs to get from point A to point B. Within this sedan market there are many contenders, though the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight come out on top.

Comparing the two hybrids, it is not easy to see much difference. Both the Insight and the Prius look very similar, both styled with sloping lines and a few gentle curves. However once you look beyond the everyday exterior, the sedans are different. First and foremost is the price, the Insight sells for a base price of $19,800 while the Prius sells for $22,400 base. It would seem that the Insight is the better buy, due to the several thousand less than the Prius, however the Prius has been outselling the Insight nearly 6 to 1.

The reasons why?

Read on.

The Honda Insight generates 123 pounds of torque from between 1000 to 1700 rpm, while the Prius only manages 105 pounds of torque. The Prius however is the better in terms of displacement with 1789 cc, compared to the 1339 cc of the Insight. Both the Prius and the Insight utilize a 4 cylinder engine, along with an electric motor.

Toyota Prius

In terms of pure performance, neither the Prius nor Insight are going to turn heads or get the adrenaline pumping. Neither car was designed for such a purpose, so neither is wicked fast. The Prius does win the 0-60 mph test though, with a plod-along-time of 10.1 seconds. The Insight fared slightly worse with a time of 10.8 seconds, a time far from one that would gain respect in a quarter mile.
Both however are big on gas mileage, though the size of their gas tanks is not terribly large. The Prius comes equipped with a 11.9 gallon tank while the Insight rings in with a 10.6 gallon tank.

The most important figures are those revolving around gas milage, and the Prius wins this battle. The 3rd generation Prius gets an average of 50 miles to the gallon, a solid 9 more mpg than the Insight which gets 41.

In summation, the Prius has the advantage over the Insight in several categories. What does this mean to the buyer, or the reader of this article? In the end of all things, it is usually something small or mundane that captures the eye about the car, not the facts and figures. That being said, what really matters is the taste of the individual, and how much they are willing to part with to be a part of the “wave of the future” that is the hybrid automobile scene.