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What's this about a Toyota Prius Prime trademark?

The fourth-generation Toyota Prius is growing ever closer to launch and might even already be on the roads testing in heavy camouflage now. A recent filing by Toyota with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the name Prius Prime hints that the popular hybrid might get something different with its new model. As is often the case with trademark filings, the information here is quite barebones. All that is officially known is that as of March 26, 2015, Toyota owns the Prius Prime name for "automobiles and structural parts thereof." Green Car Reports speculates that the moniker could be for anything from a new trim level to a completely different model in the hybrid's lineup. One possibility at least to consider stems from a rumor from last year. According to that speculation, the next Prius might be offered in two versions: one with a nickel-metal hydride battery getting around 55 miles per gallon and another with a lithium-ion pack capable of over 60 mpg. The Prime name could actually work for either of them. Of course, a trademark filing also isn't a guarantee of a vehicle actually seeing production. Automakers can sit on the names for years just for safety, but sometimes they really do point to the future. Related Video: Word Mark PRIUS PRIME Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044. G & S: Automobiles and structural parts thereof Standard Characters Claimed Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 86577082 Filing Date March 26, 2015 Current Basis 1B Original Filing Basis 1B Owner (APPLICANT) Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha TA Toyota Motor Corporation CORPORATION JAPAN 1, Toyota-cho Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken JAPAN 471-8571 Attorney of Record Roberta S. Bren Prior Registrations 3625763;4091489;4219530 Type of Mark TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

There's a familiar ring to this 1966 video of GM's hydrogen ElectroVan

"What we need is fuel cells that can run on a hydrocarbon fuel and air." It can be fun and educational to revisit the past as we look into the future. While we do have cars that plug in today, the first big batch of hydrogen powered vehicles is not yet arrived (but the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUV is leading the way). The idea of hydrogen as a promising future technology was also true in 1960s, when General Motors made a promotional movie for the ElectroVan. Turns out, the future then shared more than a little with the future now. As you can see in the short promotional video below for the hydrogen-powered ElectroVan, a modified 1966 GMC HandiVan, a big hurdle in the mid 1960s was the difficulty of obtaining hydrogen fuel. GM offered a possible solution at the time: "Hydrogen and oxygen are expensive and impractical fuels for a car. What we need is fuel cells that can run on a hydrocarbon fuel and air." Unlike today's hydrogen fuel cell cars, the ElectroVan used liquid hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells to get a range of between 100 and 150 miles. Not bad for the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle in the world. GM tested the ElectroVan on the GM grounds before sending it into storage and then to the company's heritage center. For another view to the past, this time with some focus on electric vehicles, take a look at a video from the 1994 Chicago Auto Show, also available below. Twenty years ago, the green vehicle hype was on the Toyota EV-50 electric car, the solar-powered Honda EVX (and a solar Honda racing car) and a hydrogen-powered Mazda Miata. The announcer's enthusiasm is contagious, but as we all know, none of these vehicles ever made it to dealerships. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Chicago Auto Show, Bangshift via YouTube Green GM Toyota Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Hydrogen Cars Videos

Recharge Wrap-up: Honda FCV Concept comes to Detroit, Toyota seeks young green energy fellows

Honda will bring its FCV Concept to the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The hydrogen-powered concept made its Japanese debut in November, and will now make its way to North America for the first time. The FCV concept improves upon the design of the FCX Clarity with a more striking appearance and roomier interior. Its smaller powertrain packaging means more space for people, and the FCV Concept seats five passengers. Honda also expects the next-generation fuel-cell car, which is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in March 2016, to cost less and have a range of over 300 miles. Read more in the press release below. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive has been awarded an environmental certificate from the TUV Sud technical inspection authority. The certificate is based not just on the vehicle's operation, but the entire lifecycle of the car, including production and recycling. The B-Class Electric Drive produces 24 percent less CO2 over its lifecycle than the Mercedes-Benz B180 when using the EU electricity mix, and 64 percent less when powered by hydroelectricity. Mercedes credits not just the use of electricity, but also the car's energy management system - such as its radar-based regenerative braking - for its carbon reductions. Read more in the press release below. Scania will test a wirelessly charged plug-in hybrid bus in Sweden. Beginning in June 2016, the bus will be put to daily use in Sodertalje. One of its stops will have a wireless charging station where the bus will recharge for six to seven minutes before continuing on its route again. The charger is located under the road surface and the bus positions itself above it to charge inductively. About $1.3 million will come from the Swedish Energy Agency to fund the test project, which could save up to 90 percent of fuel costs. If expanded to a fleet of 2,000 buses, it could save up to 13 million gallons of fuel each year. Read more at Green Car Congress, and in the press release below. Sandia National Laboratories and Linde are teaming up to expand hydrogen fueling infrastructure. The two groups have signed an agreement to research and develop new hydrogen stations, as well as ways to make fuel cell vehicles more desirable for consumers. They are looking at ways to incorporate hydrogen into existing fuel stations where possible, and make sure that it is able to be done safely.