Watanabe: Each Toyota model will have a hybrid option

Posted Jan 3rd 2008 2:25PM by Xavier Navarro
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Toyota

During his New Year's Speech, Toyota's CEO Katsuaki Watanabe announced some highlights about the future plans of his company. The most spectacular is the one we used as a headline: Each Toyota model will have a hybrid powertrain available so that Toyota can reach the goal of selling a million hybrids per year. Watanabe stated that since 1997, Toyota has saved 5 million CO₂ tons from the atmosphere thanks to the marque's 1.25 million hybrids already on the road.

While other automakers are making their bets on technologies such as diesels, Mr. Watanabe believes that hybrids are the way to go, and it's a key factor for the company's strategy to reduce its environmental impact. He said that not only is Toyota producing cleaner cars, but this behavior is also being used during the research and development phases, the manufacturing process and the social responsibility of the company.

Toyota's CEO also announced that they're working in a plug-in hybrid (old news) but he didn't mention when it would be available on the showrooms. He also announced that they're researching lithium-ion batteries, which would replace current nickel-based units, because of their higher performance.

The speech also mentioned that Toyota will respond to the automobile market expansion that countries such as China, India, Brazil or Russia are living through, as well as new environmental legislation that could arrive there and elsewhere.

[Source: Europa Press via Econoticias]

Tags: Katsuaki-Watanabe, new-year-speech, toyota-ceo

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Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. Man, this guy can't seem to make up his mind.

Posted at 2:46PM on Jan 3rd 2008 by Tim

2. They've made their bed with parallel hybrids and now they have to sleep in it. Now matter how much CO2 they are saving, the savings to consumers at the pump will pale compared to Volt-style plugins.

Posted at 3:46PM on Jan 3rd 2008 by ug

3. Toyota has been saying that they'll have a hybrid for each model for several years now. But it doesn't seem like they are making progress as quickly as promised earlier (although if you look at Lexus, the % of Lexus models available and % of Lexus cars sold that are hybrids are actually pretty high).
Of course these delays happen all the time ... Honda has been talking about more hybrids, but they now have fewer hybrid models than a couple of years ago, the GM Volt is delayed, Tesla is delayed, the 2008 VW TDI is delayed until fall (now at 2009 model), etc. etc.

As for comment 1 - Toyota has been saying in this for years. This talk has been fairly consistent, unlike VW, for example, which keep going back and forth about whether they'll make hybrids.

As for comment 2 - I think Toyota is very happy with their bed of PR wonderfulness. They have more experience with hybrids than anyone, so making a series or plug in or whatever kind of hybrid is no big deal to them (the only issue is batteries, as it is for everyone else). It's everyone else that's scrambling to catch up. The Volt is a nice concept, but it's still vaporware at this point, probably about 3 years away. By that time Toyota and others will have some nice new cars out too.

Posted at 4:04PM on Jan 3rd 2008 by Karkus

4. Oh, right. His many comments regarding the stupidity of Plug-In Hybrids should be ignored.

Posted at 5:11PM on Jan 3rd 2008 by Tim

5. OK, you got him on the plug-in change of mind.

Posted at 5:20PM on Jan 3rd 2008 by Karkus

6. It doesn't matter. I'd be happy if they indeed are able to develop a plug-in hybrid for their Prius -- in the same manner that I'll be happy if the Volt finally comes out at the local Chevy dealership. I just hope quality and long-term reliability remains consistent with this plug-in prius as well as their other new hybrids.

Its now a question of who comes out first, the Volt or the plug-in prius? Last time I check the Prius is already existing on the roads and some people have already started converting it to a PHEV. True that the Volt might be superior in terms of consuming less foreign oil, but I would like to first see a working prototype from GM (or have I missed one already?). After reading Karkus' comments, I hope that the Volt is not a vaporware anymore inside GM's labs.

Posted at 9:05AM on Jan 4th 2008 by JM

7. Why isn't there a hybrid minivan RIGHT NOW? One would think that of any possible car configuration, the minivan (placing thrift and practicality over acceleration) would be the most obvious candidate for hybridizing. Plenty of space for batteries, a more sedate and deliberate driving demographic. It's criminally stupid for there not to be one.

And where are the HCCI or at the very least direct injection gas motors Toyota? Kinda weak!!

Posted at 5:52PM on Jan 4th 2008 by Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

8. You do realize that you can get Toyota hybrid minivans BUT only if you move to Japan.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/06/toyota_introduc.html

Still no word on when the Sienna will go hybrid, but there is always talk about it.
http://minivans.about.com/b/2007/10/31/toyota-exec-us-needs-a-hybrid-minivan.htm

Posted at 6:41PM on Jan 4th 2008 by Karkus

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