Toyota boosting its green vehicle lineup

PanARMENIAN.Net - Toyota Motor Corp. is boosting its green vehicle lineup, with plans for 21 new hybrids in the next three years, a new electric car later this year and a fuel cell vehicle by 2015 in response to growing demand for fuel efficient and environmentally friendly driving, AP reports.

Toyota said Monday, Sept 24, it will offer an electric compact called eQ, based on its iQ model, in Japan and the U.S. in December though the number of the vehicles made will be extremely limited — about 100 for special fleet use, according to the company. The car, which will be called the iQ EV in the U.S, isl pricey at 3.6 million yen ($45,000) and has a limited cruise range of 100 kilometers (62 miles).

In the U.S., an electric version of the Rav-4 sport utility model, which Toyota worked on with U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors, goes on sale this month.

The fuel cell vehicle, which runs on hydrogen to produce electricity, will be offered from 2015. Details for that model were not released.

The manufacturer is also counting on its reputation for green technology that it has built with its hit Prius, the world's leading gas-electric hybrid, to woo buyers and fix its brand battered by the massive recall scandal in the U.S. a few years ago.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, the executive overseeing technology and new model development at Toyota, said the long-term potential for fuel cells was great, compared to electric cars, because of greater cruise range and shorter charging time. He said tens of thousands of fuel cell vehicles were likely to get sold in the 2020s.