It might sound like a verse of ‘A Partridge in a Pear Tree’ but Toyota, the world’s biggest car maker, has genuinely revealed plans to produce 11 hybrid models and an iQ EV, by 2012, as part of its plans to develop a next-generation of eco-cars. Some of the hybrids will all-new models while others will be redesigns of current models, the firm announced.
Revealing details of its ‘eco car’ development strategy, the Japanese firm also confirmed that it intended to begin sales of a Prius-based plug-in hybrid by early 2012, focusing on the Japanese, European and US markets. Targeting sales of 50,000 annually, the plug-in hybrid will cost around 3 million yen (£22,483)-about the same price as a current top spec Prius model.
Meanwhile the car maker is also set to begin targeting sales of full electric vehicles too, in a bid to catch up with rivals such as Mitsubishi and Nissan, who launch electric models this year. Having focused on hybrid technology thus far, the car giant now aims to produce an electric car based on its diminutive petrol iQ model and is planning to launch it in the US, Japan and Europe by 2012. Trials will begin in these launch markets next year, while China too could also be considered for the trials, as the firm looks to increase its market presence in the world’s new car-buying superpower.
Separately, a ‘RAV4 EV’ concept, jointly developed with Tesla Motors, is currently being displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but no plans for full production plans have been confirmed.
Despite a focus on hybrids and EVs in the near-term, the car maker has not given up on fuel cell technology either and is continuing development of a sedan-type fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV), with sales aimed to start in around 2015 in Japan, the US and Europe—the markets in which hydrogen supply infrastructure is expected to be the most developed. Currently a price of close to 10 million yen (£74,945) seems attainable, Toyota says, but it aims to reduce costs further before launch to bring the vehicle to market at a ‘more-affordable price’.
Finally the car giant revealed details of its work developing next-generation secondary batteries with performance that can greatly exceeds that of lithium-ion batteries. Two main areas of research include:
• Solid-state batteries: Toyota has successfully reduced what is known as particle resistance and has made progress toward creating full solid-state batteries in a promising compact package.
• Metal-air batteries: Toyota has determined the reaction mechanism of lithium-air batteries and has clarified its research policy regarding the batteries as rechargeable secondary batteries.
In January 2010, the firm established a division charged with studying production of next-generation batteries. The division, with a staff of approximately 100 researchers, is accelerating its research.
