Since the launch of the Prius in Japan in 1997, Toyota has not only become the pioneer in hybrid technology, it has every intention of remaining the sector’s leader. Indeed, this manufacturer, who plans to sell one million vehicles of this type in 2013, has announced that it intends to market 21 hybrid vehicles between now and 2015. Among these 21 vehicles, 14 will be completely new, while the rest will be redesigned models from the current line-up. At the time of writing, the Toyota group, which includes the Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu, and Hino makes, plans on selling a total of about 9.8 million vehicles of all types in 2012. These figures could allow the Japanese giant to finish in first place on a global basis, beating General Motors (GM) and the Volkswagen group.

ALL-ELECTRIC MODELS

As well as their success in hybrid motor design, Toyota has just unveiled a new, 100-percent electric vehicle. Baptized the “eQ” and built on the Scion iQ platform, this small car is powered by a battery that can recharge in three hours on a 220- volt power outlet. Once charged to full capacity, this town dweller has a driving range of 62 miles. The launch of the “eQ” is planned for December within targeted markets in Japan and the United States, where the climate and the demand justify it. In the compact multi-purpose segment, Toyota will offer an electric version of the RAV4 in 2013. This vehicle was designed with the help of the Californian manufacturer Tesla, which builds the S and Roadster models. Among other developments in the alternative energies domain, Toyota hopes to launch a sedan powered by a hydrogen fuel cell in 2015.

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