Does the idea of a supercharged Yaris hybrid concept excite you? Toyota seems to think it should, recently teasing out an image that many speculated was something based upon the “existing Yaris Hybrid sold in Europe.” Now the truth has come out – it is indeed Toyota’s little sub-compact in a zippy package, known as the Yaris Hybrid-R concept.
image via Toyota
Toyota said it plans to debut the Yaris Hybrid-R design study at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. As the Japanese automobile manufacturer describes it,
the Yaris Hybrid-R concept hybrid powertrain combines the powerful 1.6l Global Race Engine (GRE) developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) with two powerful electric motors to provide an ‘intelligent’ electric four-wheel drive capability. Just like in the TS030 HYBRID, the energy recovered during the braking phase is stored in a super capacitor, particularly suitable for a sports car because of its high power density and quick charge and discharge speeds. The result is a highly focused concept car dedicated to maximising driving pleasure on road and on track.
All total, the Yaris Hybrid-R will have a combined maximum power output of more than 400 hp, which easily bests the current 99 hp offered in the standard Yaris Hybrid configuration. If what Toyota showcases in Frankfurt actually becomes a production model, it will join a 16-year-old hybrid legacy that’s catapulted the company to the top of the green car heap. As it stands now, over 5.5 million hybrids had been sold worldwide as of the end of last month, and plans call for 16 new or updated hybrids to be introduced by the end of 2015.
As a side note, Toyota also continues to dabble in fuel cell technology, though where it is in comparison to Hyundai and its already mass produced offeringremains to be seen. There is something new Toyota perhaps plans in this area to be showcased alongside the Yaris Hybrid-R in Germany, so we will see if it opens a new avenue in green vehicle development – a fuel cell Prius perhaps? Now that would be interesting.
