Few green cars have had the impact of the Toyota Prius – and now the flagship green vehicle is ready to break down more boundaries.
With its super ultra low emissions the Prius has long been a favourite among environmentalists and has been endorsed by numerous celebrities. However, hybrid cars are not quite the finished article as far as producing truly green vehicles is concerned – due to their reliance on petroleum or diesel alongside electricity. To become truly green, renewable resources need to be used – and following the success of many third-party companies converting the Prius into a plug-in hybrid, this Toyota model may soon be equipped with various fuelling systems.
Its first eco-upgrade will be to offer E85 conversions – that is a vehicle that runs on 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent regular fuel. A Dutch firm named Green Fuel Systems has created a conversion kit that costs just €549.
With Toyota already having outlined plans for solar panels to be incorporated into future Prius designs, the car could soon have some dazzling green credentials – the ability to run on batteries, with solar-powered air conditioning, and the option to switch between regular petrol and ethanol.
