NAGOYA–Toyota Motor Corp. plans to market subcompact gas-electric hybrids as early as 2011.
When the auto, based on its popular Vitz model, hits the market, Toyota will have hybrids in all classes, ranging from luxury sedans to low-priced subcompacts selling for under 2 million yen.
As automakers worldwide ramp up production of environmentally friendly vehicles, Toyota is concentrating on hybrids powered by gas and electric motors, hoping to make them the dominant vehicle type for years to come.
The new subcompact model will use the Vitz chassis and engine. The company plans to develop a hybrid system for the car that is smaller and less expensive than the Prius version.
Toyota has set a fuel efficiency target of 40 kilometers per liter of gasoline, improving slightly on the 38 kilometers per liter the Prius achieves.
The new vehicle is expected to be priced around 1.5 million yen, a significant reduction from the 2.05 million yen for a Prius.
The launch of the next Vitz model is set for the end of 2010. Toyota wants to begin pushing the hybrid version out the door a year later, toward the end of 2011. In addition to Japan, the car may be built in France and sold in Europe.
Given the success of the Prius, Toyota is determined to fill out its hybrid product line to cash in on the sharp increase in demand.
The third-generation Prius, which arrived on the market in May, was an immediate hit with a price tag 300,000 yen lower than the previous model. Buyers are also eligible for a generous government eco-subsidy.
Even among Lexus luxury cars, the hybrid model is the most popular.
In Europe and the United States, fuel efficiency and standards on emission restrictions will likely be strengthened.
Honda Motor Co., Toyota’s main rival, said it will produce a hybrid version of its own subcompact, the Fit, as early as 2010.
Toyota plans to increase hybrid production in Europe where diesel-powered cars are common.
While continuing research and development of fuel cell vehicles and electric cars, Toyota is focusing on hybrid production, predicting it will form the core of its business.
Toyota’s hybrid can travel farther than similar vehicles on its electric motor, which features seamless switching between gas and electric operation.
If charging stations were universally available, the cars could run on their electric motors exclusively.
Improved battery and motor technology could allow Toyota’s fleet of hybrids to make the change to electric-only operation.
Fuel cell technology points to an even more promising automotive future, in which an electrochemical conversion is used to create electricity to power a motor