--- In toyota-prius@yahoogroups.com, JerryW <jerrywh@g...> wrote:
> Hi Steve
>
> On 20/09/05, M.S. Dickerson <msdickerson@y...> wrote:
> >
> > According to Engineering rumors (an interview with a Toyota engineer),
> > the 2008 Prius model, will support a Lithium Ion battery pack. Not
> > much other details, but that is the rumor.
>
>
>
> What interview was this? Is there a transcript somewhere?

perhaps:
http://www.carlist.com/autonews/2005/autonews_188.html
<quote>
Toyota, known as the pioneer hybrid car company, could look at replacing their
Nickel Metal Hydride battery with a Lithium-Ion battery, according to Dave
Hermance, Chief Engineer for Environmental Issues for Toyota. Hermance
speculates that "At the battery conference held in June in Hawaii it was said
that Lithium Ion is about 3-5 years away for hybrids and another 5-8 years away
to get to a rational price point." Laughing, Hermance adds, "of course, thats
not to say that we wouldnt start at an irrational price point" Hermance also
points out that the cost of Nickel has increased three-fold in the last five
years, making the NiMH battery less attractive. The Toyota Prius is due for a
redux in 2008 and, according to insiders other than Hermance, there is a strong
possibility for the next Prius to have a Lithium Ion battery instead of a Nickel
Metal Hydride. It wont be the first Toyota hybrid that has a Lithium-Ion battery
inside.

Toyota manufactures a Lithium-Ion battery for use in The Vitz, a minivan sold in
Japan. Toyota has developed the battery to gain first hand experience with the
technology. The battery uses the Li-NiO chemistry, not the iron phosphate
chemistry. The battery is not for a hybrid system, but for a starting, lighting
and ignition system (SLI) - stop-start system. United States Advanced Battery
Consortium (USABC) tests are for the specific application of electric vehicle
(EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). There are no standards for SLI
batteries.

However, Toyota has a battery that is quite capable and unless they are changing
just to be at the forefront of the market there really is no reason for them to
do so. A more likely candidate would be a company that doesnt have their own
hybrid system and isnt beholden to the NiMH system. That company would more
likely be Nissan.
</quote>

or:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/02/toyota_fuji_hea.html
<quote>
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Toyota Motor and Fuji Heavy Industries,
the maker of Subarus, plan to form a technology partnership for the production
of hybrids. The newspaper cited no sources from either company.

Under the reported partnership, Toyota will supply its hybrid drive system to
Fuji Heavy for the Subaru line in North America, which accounts for 35% of its
sales.

In return, Fuji Heavy would supply Toyota with advanced lithium ion batteries
for use in hybrids.
</quote>