subject: Toyota takes strides in EV market [print this page] Toyota takes strides in EV market Toyota takes strides in EV market
Toyota announced earlier on in the year that it intended to launch 11 hybrid models by the end of 2012; this will consist of completely new models as well as re-designed old models. Toyota has recently confirmed the Prius Plug in Hybrid will go on sale in Europe, Japan and the USA in the early part of 2012.
Toyota as a car company continues to advance its development of fuel cell hybrid technology and expects to introduce a saloon fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) in around 2015 in countries where a fuel supply infrastructure is in place - expected to be Europe, Japan and North America.
In its efforts to introduce more hybrid vehicles, Toyota is to undertake European road trials of an electric-powered version of the Toyota iQ city car from next year. The iQ EV is scheduled to go on sale in the USA in 2012, but Toyota is looking at its potential in other markets, including Europe, Japan and China.
At the Los Angeles Motor Show Toyota showed off the Toyota RAV4 EV, the new model produced in partnership with electric vehicle specialists Tesla Motors that will also be sold in the US from 2012. The RAV4 should follow into the UK market and will be available at a new Toyota Newcastle, Liverpool, London and other major city dealerships.
Toyota understands that eco/green cars have positive impacts on the environment, so as well as looking for alternative fuel propulsion it is still committed to refining its internal combustion engines which account for the majority of sales.
