Prius V Launch Delayed

Not surprisingly, the Prius V launch for April has officially been delayed.  No word on when the launch will happen, but it was scheduled for April in Japan.  No decisions have been made about the summertime launch in the US.

Something to keep in mind is the delay in production for all hybrids (really, all vehicles depending in any way on supplies from Japan) is going to be affected in the coming months, which will affect pricing and supply.  It's already hitting the used hybrid marketplace, and it won't be long before dealers start worrying about when they're going to get another vehicle in.


Press Release from Toyota:
Toyota Motor Corp. announced today that it decided to postpone launch of the Japan-market Prius-derivative vehicle originally scheduled for launch in late April. No decision has been made at this time on when the launch will be rescheduled.

As announced at the North American International Auto Show (Detroit) in January, the Prius v – as the vehicle is known in the U.S. market – is scheduled to launch the end of summer 2011. No decision has been made in regards to a possible need to change the launch timing.

We're making every effort to minimize disruptions to our overall operations

New York Loses Out on Hybrid Taxi

After years of courtroom battles, NYC has lost out on their bid to force all taxis to go hybrid.   The Supreme Court has refused to hear their argument, letting the ruling from the lower court stand. 

Taxi owners argued the city was regulating fuel economy, something only the federal powers are allowed to do.  And although some states have created emissions and fuel standards, those have come by a waiver issued by the EPA.

Really, taxi owners simply don't want to pay extra to purchase the hybrid cars.  Taxi drivers love them because of the lower fuel costs and because customers have shown a preference for riding in them.

Still, a large percentage of NYC taxis have already gone hybrid.  And more are expected to, so the effort by the city has not been wasted.

Honda Civic Hybrid Recall 2006 - 2007

Honda is recalling MY 2006-2007 Honda Civic Hybrid to replace a DC to DC converter.  The DC-DC converter is part of the IMA system and may experience an internal failure leading to stalling and malfunction of the headlights.

Around 37,000 Civic Hybrids are being recalled for the repairs.  Notification should start on March 18.