Toyota came forward with a list of new, fairly exciting plans at a news conference Wednesday (well, okay, I guess you could say today). The question is whether they’ll really pull them off.
Batteries Beyond Lithium Ion
After developing nickel hydride batteries, and then lithium-ion batteries (to be used in plug-in hybrids in 2010) the automaker looks to their old partner Matsushita Electric Industrial to create a “next generation” battery. Details were sparse, but they’re setting up shop by the end of the summer.
When it comes to works in progress, I try to stay very neutral. You never know if a plan is going to lose footing or hold, but these companies have a history of success working together.
Every Toyota a Hybrid, New Hybrid-Only Model
Katsuaki Watanabe made several other claims during his news conference. Two exciting announcements were the decision to take the entire Toyota line hybrid (which we all know could change at any time between now and intended completion date, 2029).
More importantly, Toyota has plans to unveil a new hybrid-only model at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. So far, the only cars currently fitting this mold are the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. If Toyota is successful in making a functional auto with a unique design, they could be launching their second major win.
Ethanol from Yard Waste
Last, but certainly not least, Toyota is investing in research for making ethanol from cellulose (grass clippings, wood chips, etc). It’s not as exciting as ethanol from garbage, but better than using up topsoil to grow crops to convert into fuel.
Source: Forbes
[Image: Newscom]
Tags: cellulose, Ethanol, hybrid-only car, Katsuaki Watanabe, new-hybrid, next step after lithium-ion, ToyotaShare This
