Are the choices of the europeans and americans going to be so varied.Is toyota taking the right direction or is this a big gamble only time will tell.
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Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American chief said vehicles powered by gasoline-electric hybrid engines will dominate U.S. roads as fuel prices continue to rise.
"Eventually, everything will be a hybrid," said Jim Press, president of Toyota Motor North America, in an interview today in New York. Hybrids have been driving Toyota's growth in the U.S., he said.
Toyota executives have said they expect at least 175,000 Prius hybrids to be sold in North America this year, up from about 109,000 in 2006. Hybrids reduce fuel use and emissions by combining a gasoline engine, an electric motor with a battery pack and brakes that capture energy from stopping.
"The Prius is the forerunner," Press said. "It's going to be like the Model T when you look back," he said, referring to the ubiquitous, low-cost Ford Motor Co. vehicle produced more than 80 years ago.
Rising gasoline prices have also driven consumers into newer types of vehicles, such as crossover sport-utilities, and away from large SUVs, said Press. "You don't buy a car for image any longer that's a big gas guzzler," he said.
The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. rose 28 percent this year to $2.98, according to the American Automobile Association. This is the third straight summer that U.S. gasoline prices have topped $3.
Source:
Transworldnews
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Toyota Motor Corp. and Isuzu Motors Ltd. plan to set up a joint corporation to produce next-generation environmentally friendly diesel engines, company sources said Wednesday.
The joint company is expected to start building about 200,000 such engines annually in about five years for use in Toyota compact cars for the European market.
Toyota also will consider giving Isuzu technological assistance for the future development of a diesel-electric hybrid engine, according to the sources.
Source:
daily yomiuri
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