Right after the Camry Hybrid was named 2007 Green Car of the Year, Toyota dedicated the award to Dave Hermance, the company's lead engineer on hybrid projects who died in a private airplane crash less than a week ago. Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal and sponsor of the award, made the presentation to Ed La Rocque, Toyota's national car marketing manager. La Rocque thanked the magazine and then acknowledged the contributions that Hermance made to the hybrid's development. The Camry Hybrid beat out four other finalists that included the Honda Civic GX, Lexus LS450H, Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec and Saturn Vue Green Line. Voting were four magazine editors and a diverse field of seven outside judges that included the legendary hot rodder Carrol Shelby and representatives from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, National Resource Defense Council and Union of Concerned Scientists. One of the voters told AutoblogGreen that the Camry's mainstream attraction was a leading factor in the decision.

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• Toyota hybrid engineer, Dave Hermance, dies in private plane crash

Called the "most knowledgeable person in this country on the subject of hybrids," Dave Hermance died Saturday while piloting his small plane. A veteran pilot who competed in acrobatic events, Hermance reportedly was performing stunts off the coast near Long Beach and San Pedro when his Interavia E-3 plane crashed into the ocean. Witnesses said the plane was flying loops and dives before the accident. No other passengers were aboard. Hermance had been with Toyota since 1991 and became the top hybrid engineer for the company in 2000. He is survived by a wife and two children. Thanks to Lou Ann Hammond for the tip. Here's a link to an audio clip of Lou Ann interviewing Hermance. Two AutoblogGreen posts about Hermance are linked to below.

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• Toyota executive engineer sees rising hybrid battery prices, lithium batteries in 10 years
• Can't find a hybrid? Look for other advanced engine technology to improve mileage

[Source: Kurt Streeter / LA Times]

The end of the line for driving down the price of hybrid batteries with large order size is here, Toyota Motor executive engineer Dave Hermance said during a recent visit to the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. The economy of scale strategy has run out on nickel-based batteries, he said, but new technology – batteries made using lithium ion – are coming. Trouble is, this won't be for a few more years: three for the first hybrids to use them (like this Smart EV prototype), ten until they all do, is Hermance's prediction. In the meantime, interest in hybrid cars is expected to continue to rise. Buyers of Toyota's hybrids will be hit with a price increase from the costlier batteries, and will also miss out on the highest Federal tax credits available, because so many Toyota hybrids have been sold. Once lithium batteries are more regularly available, Hermance said, Toyota would try the same economy of scale tactics to drive those prices down.

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• Where federal rebates for Toyota and Lexus hybrids stand as of Oct. 1

[Source: Courier-Journal / Robert Schoenberger via Mixed Power]