In
a few years there will
probably be more than one type
of Prius, such as a city Prius
or a crossover Prius. While
there are no specific plans
for these derivative Prii, the
idea is brewing within Toyota
according to Bloomberg
News.
"To the extent they can leverage derivatives to help amortize investment costs for the hybrid system, they'd be crazy not to,'' said Eric Noble, president of consulting firm Car Lab in Orange, California. ``There is so much equity in the Prius name at this point, that would make sense, especially in the near term.''
A smaller ``city car'' based on the Prius would have even higher fuel efficiency and would fit with ``a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,'' Lentz said. ``People also want to see more utility on the vehicle, so you could imagine something that's a little more utility or crossover-based.''
In related news, Toyota is reporting that sales of the Prius are still strong and should be higher in 2006 compared to 2005.
"To the extent they can leverage derivatives to help amortize investment costs for the hybrid system, they'd be crazy not to,'' said Eric Noble, president of consulting firm Car Lab in Orange, California. ``There is so much equity in the Prius name at this point, that would make sense, especially in the near term.''
A smaller ``city car'' based on the Prius would have even higher fuel efficiency and would fit with ``a trend toward people moving into inner-city lofts,'' Lentz said. ``People also want to see more utility on the vehicle, so you could imagine something that's a little more utility or crossover-based.''
In related news, Toyota is reporting that sales of the Prius are still strong and should be higher in 2006 compared to 2005.
