The Prius c has been a hit for Toyota, and the company can’t make enough of them. Toyota is shipping just 6,000 units of the compact hybrid to North America per month, which is not enough to satisfy demand, but that number is set to grow by mid 2012. The Prius c went on sale domestically in December last year, and hits US showrooms this month.

Supply constraints and soaring domestic market demand is keeping supplies low for the rest of the world. In Japan, the small car known as Aqua has racked up a big backlog of 120,000 orders. The rising yen (against USD) is also affecting profit margins for US sales, so it makes sense for Toyota to focus on fulfilling local orders.

The Prius c is exclusively made in Iwate, northern Japan, at a plant run by Toyota affiliate Kanto Auto Works Ltd. Kanto president Tetsuo Hattori revealed that the company is currently working on rolling out more units of the small Prius.

Besides improving efficiency that will increase overall capacity, the plant will gradually shift production of the JDM Toyota Ractis to a sister plant in Higashifuji from May. The freed up capacity will be used to make more Aquas.

Kanto’s Iwate plant makes about 30,000 units of the Prius c units a month. The annual rate of 360k units is already up from the originally planned 240k units, and it accounts for 80% of total plant output. Besides the Prius c and Ractis, the facility also produces the Toyota ist (called Urban Cruiser in UK and Scion xD in USA), Belta (we’re very familiar with this, the Vios) and the Blade hatchback.

The Prius c was launched in Malaysia last month, click here to read our launch report.

Teased last month, the Toyota FT-Bh Concept has been revealed at Geneva, and what a creature it is! Expressing the “Under Priority” design language and “Keen Look” styling of Toyota’s next generation vehicles, the FT-Bh is an ultra-light, sub-800 kg, full hybrid B-segment family car.

At 3,985 mm long, 1,695 mm wide and 1,400 mm high, with a long wheelbase of 2,570 mm, the FT-Bh is close to the size of today’s Prius C, although the shape is closer to the full sized Prius. It’s very aerodynamic at just 0.235 Cd.

The concept is upheld by five key pillars targeting optimum fuel efficiency and minimised emissions: Mass Reduction; Driving Resistance in the form of aerodynamics and tyre rolling resistance; Powertrain Efficiency; Thermal Energy Management and Electricity Saving. The FT-Bh is projected to deliver average fuel consumption of just 2.1 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions of only 49 g/km – the latter is less than half of what the 1.0L Yaris emits.

The best thing is that it will be affordable. Toyota says that the techniques and thought processes demonstrated here do not involve the use of exotic, expensive materials or complex procedures, but only those already commonplace to the automotive industry.

Made from of high-tensile steel, aluminium and magnesium, the FT-Bh concept targets an overall mass reduction of 25% over the 1,030 kg 1.0L Yaris, bringing total weight down to just 786 kg. Because the hybrid powertrain is marginally heavier than a conventional 1.0 litre engine, the overall mass reduction required of the bodyshell, interior trim, chassis and electronics is actually 340 kg, or 33% of the Yaris’ weight, with no detriment to safety.

On show here is a slew of next gen aerodynamic techniques. Air curtain intakes to the frontal extremities, air-stream alloys, airflow-disrupting door mirrors replaced by cameras, handle-less electric latch doors, a pagoda roof with a dropped rear section, and a sharply cut rear end section incorporating an air outlet slit and an underfloor spoiler all contribute to the slippery shape.

Elsewhere, the full hybrid drive system is almost 90 kg lighter than the Prius’ HSD system. The petrol engine is 38 kg lighter than that of the Prius, while the lithium-ion battery pack weighs almost half that of the Prius’ Ni-Mh battery.

The lightweight, two-cylinder, 1.0 litre Atkinson cycle engine has combustion efficiency maximised via a long stroke, high 13:1 compression ratio, next gen D4 injection system with a high fuel-injection pressure, a larger Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system with cooling and a high tumble port design.

Ultra-low friction measures have been applied to the axis receivers, timing belt and electric water pump, while thermal energy management involves the use of a low heat capacity, reduced cold friction and the careful control of heat flow to regulate engine oil/water temperatures.

The detailed info and target figures hint at a serious ongoing study by Toyota, rather than a design concept with no certain future. It will be toned down, for sure, but expect many of the features here to surface in the next generation of Toyota hybrids.

Toyota is targeting to cut its capital spending on parts production by half within the next four years, and how it hopes to achieve this is by standardising its component designs, reports indicate.

For its new vehicles, the company is starting to design parts using a new method, which is called the Toyota New Global Architecture program. While body and interior designs will continue to reflect different characteristics for various global markets, the design of components hidden away are set to be standardised.

By doing so, Toyota is looking at universalising about half of a vehicle’s 4,000 to 5,000 various parts. Standardising components will also help streamline processing facilities, enabling a reduction in cost of capital spending and fixed operating expenses. Going that route will also bring down production costs for autoparts makers.

The reports add that the company already has a project in place that pares back parts costs by overhauling manufacturing processes and materials, but the new programme – which spans a range of vehicle models – will speed up cost savings. According to the company’s executive vice president Shinichi Sasaki, the benefits will begin to show up in one year and be full-blown in four.

Thailand’s auto market, so badly hit by last year’s massive floods, is now on the rebound. Most carmakers based there have resumed production at normal levels, Bangkok Post reports, except for Honda, which Ayutthaya plant is scheduled for reopening by the end of March.

Leading the rebound is Thailand’s market leader Toyota, which managed to rake in almost half of January 2012 total sales. The market saw a 11.5% year-on-year increase to 76,246 units last month, and of this pie, Toyota carved itself a 47.4% share. The brand’s sales in the month increased 34.8% year-on-year to 36,151 units, three times what they managed in December 2011.

You’ve got to feel for Honda, widely acknowledged as the worst hit among carmakers based in Thailand. The company sold just 332 units in January, a 100% drop from the same period in 2011.

“The total output increase partly helped carmakers clear their pre and post-flood order backlogs. But the passenger car market could not keep up with the overall vehicle market since some carmakers could not resume their production,” said Toyota Motor Thailand’s senior VP Vudhigorn Suriyachantananont.

Vudhigorn predicted that the upward momentum will continue as more carmakers normalise production. Also, the Thai government has introduced stimulus packages that include tax rebates for first time car owners and pay increases for civil servants.

The floods did not directly affect Toyota’s three auto plants in Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao, but like every other carmaker, they had to cut production due to lack of parts. GM was in the same situation, and is also bouncing back strongly. Despite the flood, Chevrolet sold 31,595 units in 2011, up by 58% from 2010. This form has continued into 2012 – Chevy shifted 3,785 vehicles last month, a 95% year-on-year increase.