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Toyota using Mitsubishi Rayon’s carbon fiber SMC for hatch door frame of new Prius PHV

Green Car Congress

Mitsubishi Rayon (MRC) (which is now consolidated into Mitsubishi Chemical , along with Mitsubishi Plastis and the former Mitsubishi Chemical) recently announced that its carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) has been adopted for the rear hatch frame of the new Toyota Prius PHV.

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Toyota wins Altair Enlighten Award for weight savings; CFRP inner panels on Prius Prime, Lexus LC 500

Green Car Congress

The award program honored Toyota’s use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) inner panels on the Prius Prime liftgate and Lexus LC 500 side doors and luggage hatch. Prius Prime liftgate. 2017 marks the fifth year for the program. 2017 marks the fifth year for the program. Click to enlarge.

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Prius Prime PHEV pricing to start at $27,100; on sale later this year

Green Car Congress

The Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, unveiled at the 2016 New York International Auto Show in March ( earlier post ), features a larger 8.8 In hybrid mode, the Prius Prime exceeds all competitors’ fuel economy ratings with EPA-estimated 55 city/53 highway/54 combined MPG. The engine features a very high compression ratio of 13.0:1,

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2017 Chrysler Pacifica wins Altair Enlighten Award for weight reduction in full vehicle category; Toyota, Faurecia and AP&T module, technology winners

Green Car Congress

Toyota’s carbon fiber closure panels for the 2017 Prius Prime and Lexus LC500 ( earlier post ), and Faurecia’s Adaptive Valve for exhaust systems employed on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado took the top honors for the module category.

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Toyota FCV Mirai launches in LA; initial TFCS specs; $57,500 or $499 lease; leaning on Prius analogy

Green Car Congress

Two tanks with a three-layer structure made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and other materials are used to store hydrogen at 70 MPa (approximately 700 bars or 10,000 psi). Middle layer: carbon fiber reinforced plastic (structural element). Like the Prius, Toyota designed the Mirai to be immediately recognizable.

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Toyota introduces next-generation B-segment hybrid with 112 mpg US; CNG hybrid and plug-in variants

Green Car Congress

Assuming a mass-produced fuel-efficient vehicle, the FT-Bh body structure makes greater use of high-tensile-strength steel and does not require expensive materials such as carbon fiber for weight reduction. Also on display are vehicles soon to be launched in the European market, including the Yaris Hybrid and Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

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Toyota Aims to Reduce Fuel Cell Vehicle Cost to 1/10 of Current By Commercialization in 2015; Reduction to Another 1/10 With Scale

Green Car Congress

As an example, Yokoyama used the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) hydrogen storage tank. That compares to 33% for an EV (with gas-fired power generation producing the electricity); 34% for a Prius-like hybrid; and 19% for a conventional gasoline internal combustion engine. Click to enlarge.

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