Toyota's Greening of USA - to Mass-Market Cars Powered by Biofuels and Plug-in Electric Batteries.

Toyota, who raced ahead of lumbering General Motors last year with a target of selling a million hybrid vehicles annually within a decade, is attempting to end run American rivals by accelerating plans to develop mass-market cars powered by biofuels and by plug-in electric batteries.

Already acclaimed for its hybrid electric Prius, Toyota wants to open up an environmental gap with its competitors. The auto giant is adding an assembly line for state-of-the-art lithium batteries in readiness for selling "significant fleets" of plug-in vehicles globally by 2010. The car maker is increasing investment in research to produce ethanol from wood waste and is installing clean-diesel engines in two popular models — the Tundra truck and Sequoia sports utility vehicle.

"I believe we will all remember 2007 as the year that the world responded to a wake-up call too long ignored," said Toyota's president, Katsuaki Watanabe, in a speech at the Detroit motor show.

Watanabe said roads, as well as cars, would need to change to meet green concerns: "We foresee mixed mobility combining intelligent highways and mass transit, bike paths and short-cut walking routes, recharging kiosks and hydrogen fuel stations."

In contrast, GM showcased an early-stage "concept" vehicle called the Cadillac Provoq powered by a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ion batteries.

Industry pundits have pointed out that in spite of their talk of environmental development, the two biggest product of U.S. auto manufacturers — Ford's F-150 and Chrysler's Dodge Ram — are heavyweight pick-up trucks.

Posted by Casey Kazan.

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Link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/14/automotive.generalmotors