The concept of capacitors in the industry had just been introduced and it us unbelievable how this technology has brought about a revolution in the motor vehicle industry. This technology has further been improved by making it smaller and more efficient, sufficient to be referred to as a super capacitor. The concept of super capacitors is now being applied in the manufacture of some hybrid car models in the market. The concept of super capacitors has mostly been pushed by Toyota. This has made most of the industry stakeholders the impression that the future of the Toyota Prius is indeed bright.
Toyota is most likely to apply the electric motor technology that has been used in the Le Mans Toyota motor vehicles such as the TS040. This technology is definitely going to be used in future versions of hybrid cars to be rolled into the market.
Super capacitors are very commonly used in racecars. This is because they are very effective in storing energy generated by the vehicle when it is braking and quickly redistributes it when the vehicle is accelerating. Stakeholders at Toyota expect to roll out this technology in the Prius hybrid within the next five years.
The Toyota spokeswoman, Amanda Rice, recently stated that the Le Mans racer car provides a perfect lab environment for the hybrid vehicle and component development. The superconductor technology that is used in super capacitors, with its discharge and charging capability provides the possibility for developing a car for the mass market. This means that the Toyota Prius of the future will have relatively smaller electric motors with increased power density and thermal efficiency. This is sure to be a market leader in the future.
This year, Toyota entered two car models into the Le Mans race. One of the vehicles was doing very well and had even secured itself the pole position before quitting the race after 15 hours. The reason cited for the quitting was an electrical fault. The race was eventually won by Audi. This was the 13th time that the car has won in the French car endurance competition. Despite the disappointment by Toyota, the race has provided a great platform for further improvements to be made on its technologies. With the application of superconductor technology in less stressful normal-car conditions, it is sure going to be a great success story for Toyota.