Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is enhancing its development of clean technologies and strengthening its efforts to introduce environmentally friendly vehicles to achieve sustainable mobility and help preserve the global environment.
TMC's intensified engagement is being carried out with a view to improve fuel efficiency, to reduce CO2 emissions, help reduce atmospheric pollution and pursue energy diversification to limit the use of fossil fuels, particularly that of petrol.
TMC plans to completely revamp its petrol engine and transmission lineup by 2010 in an effort that started with a new V6 engine in 2003. As part of this effort, a new 1.8-litre petrol engine and Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) have been developed for Toyota compact and midsized passenger vehicles.
The new engine is capable of delivering one of the best performances in its displacement class and features advanced mechanisms such as Dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent), which provides more torque and lower CO2 emissions.
Other key features of the new engine include the use of ultra light pistons together with roller rockers in the valve mechanism, which reduce frictional loss and contribute to a five per cent improvement in fuel economy.
As a target for 2010, Toyota aims to achieve emissions levels that are 75 per cent lower than the 2005 standards set by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Approval for low emission vehicles.
Additionally, Toyota aims to exceed the level called for by the Japanese 2010 fuel efficiency standards by 10 per cent or more for most passenger vehicles.
TMC aims to make hybrid technology much more widespread by doubling the number of hybrid models by the early 2010s. It will also advance its research and development of plug-in hybrid vehicles (charged from an external source) and is currently developing a next generation vehicle that can extend the distance travelled by the electric motor alone, further contributing to the reduction of CO2.
Toyota plans to introduce bio ethanol compatible vehicles and has achieved the technology to allow all its petrol engines to run reliably with 10 per cent bio ethanol content.
In the spring of 2007, Toyota plans to introduce flexibly fuelled vehicles that can run on 100 per cent ethanol to the Brazilian market (where this fuel is widely used). For the US, Toyota is considering the introduction of flexibly fuelled vehicles in consideration of policies to promote bio ethanol fuels.
Toyota aims to further its development of fuel cell passenger vehicles and has reduced by a large margin the time required for sub zero temperature start-up together with successful start up at -30°C.