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Originally Posted by Hersbird
Toyota didn't even submit a proposal. If I remeber right the final product has to be under $30,000. Probably not much profit in that, Grumman who made the last crop probably did it more as a kickback for making billions off the F14 Tomcat.
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Considering the advertised price for the hybrid versions of the RAV4 and the Prius v, one could easily guess a version with simpler interior trim could cater to this market segment. Eliminating the rear seat rows, and eventually lowering the rear section of the floor like it's done in the JDM Welcab series of wheelchair-accessible vehicles from toyota itself, would be likely to turn a Prius v into a reasonable option for a small parcel-delivery vehicle.
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I can almost guarantee when they say 50% hybrid or alternate fuels they will count E85 capable as an "alternate fuel". At least that is how they are counting the current Dodge Grand Caravans we are getting.
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Ethanol is not bad at all, but in a hybrid I'd be concerned about the cold-start issues. Unless it resorts to direct injection (which now the RAV4 and Camry hybrid versions feature).
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They could pull the old bodies off and put a new powertrain and frame under them, like what Glacier National Park did with their famous red busses. The Grumman aluminum bodies are not in bad shape still.
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In the end, such retrofit does seem like the most reasonable option.