I see that the HSD web site now has TCH specific information on it. I found this part of the description of the TCH battery a kind of amusing analogy..

Via a compact step-up converter producing 750 V, the battery provides the drivetrain with 45 horsepower, and is able to deliver the equivalent of the electrical needs of several dozen households

Picture of battery unit

 

I prefer the portion of the battery description that reads:

This positioning preserves Camry's roomy trunk, and trunk-through usability of the rear seats.

I'm not sure whose trunk they're referring to, certainly not mine. The only real complaint of this car is the trunk space. Perhaps placing it there was the best of many not so ideal options, but I don't know how they can say they preserve the roomy trunk.

Took four people with four suitcases to the airport on Monday. Didn't even try to fit it in the Camry and took the SUV instead. You know that hurt.

 

You could have put one of the suitcases in the middle back seat, right? It's no guarantee you could have gotten 4 normal-sized suitcases into the trunk of a non-hybrid Camry anyway.

My 2004 HCH had 10.1 cf of trunk space, and the TCH trunk is only SLIGHTLY larger at 10.6 cf, so you are correct about the irritatingly small trunk space. The non-hybrid 2007 Camry has 14.5 cf of trunk space - meaning the TCH trunk space is reduced by 27% over the non-hybrid.

Not the best design, for sure. Lucky for me when I go on long trips I have my two kiddos in the back seat and an OPEN front passenger seat, which becomes useful cargo space for me. When we went to Texas in June, the TCH was PACKED !! My Granny commented after seeing the trunk "I don't know how you got all that stuff packed into this car!" I had filled up her guest bedroom with stuff from the trunk and the passenger seat. I am a very skilled packer, and that trunk was filled in virtually every nook and cranny.

 

That really is a bizarre claim. It might be reasonable if they lost maybe 0.5 cu ft but 27%? A bit of a stretch to say the least. At least they did keep the split folding rear seat. Something Honda has not yet gotten right with the HCH or HAH.

I think it is interesting that the '04 Prius was listed as 14.6 cu ft and the '06 is 14.4. New measurements? I don't see any obvious difference in the layout of my car vs my wife's.

 

I was taking four people to the airport, so each seat already had an occupant.

Ah, but the non-hybrid version has 37% more trunk space than the hybrid version. (It's fun to play with numbers).

If I were in charge of packing we may have made it. But I couldn't very well tell other people how to pack so I can drive my TCH.

 

I would like to see a larger, high-res version of the photo they show for the Camry Hybrid Electric Motor page. That looks like a nice cutaway of the motor and MAYBE the PSD too.

 

I always wished the TCH could be used as a backup generator so I could run my fridge, TV, and fan on my gas fireplace during a power failure. Sure, the gas "mileage" would be nil, but I could save several hundred dollars not needing a generator for the one or two times per year I lose power for an extended period.

 

"I always wished the TCH could be used as a backup generator so I could run my fridge, TV, and fan on my gas fireplace during a power failure. Sure, the gas "mileage" would be nil, but I could save several hundred dollars not needing a generator for the one or two times per year I lose power for an extended period "

I'am sure some of the electrical engeneers on this site can work out the details and let us know !!