Toyota

Hybrid, Alternative-Fuel, and Fuel-Efficient Cars

Toyota introduced the Prius in 2000, making it the first company to mass produce and sell hybrid gas/electric cars, or cars that combine an internal combustion engine with an electric battery which can propel the car. The Prius emitted 90 percent less smog-forming gases than conventional cars and had a fuel economy rating of 45 (city) and 51 (highway) mpg (miles per gallon), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2010, the Toyota Prius was ranked the most fuel-efficient vehicle overall by the EPA, with 51 mpg for city driving and 48 mpg for highway driving.

The success of the Prius (the most popular hybrid car in the U.S.) encouraged Toyota to expand hybrid technology to its other lines of cars. In 2005, Toyota introduced the Toyota Highlander (a sport utility vehicle [SUV]) and the Lexus RX 400h, the world's first hybrid luxury car. In 2006, the Camry (a sedan) became available as a hybrid, and in 2008 Toyota introduced the Lexus LS 600h, the world's first V8 hybrid. As of 2010, Toyota offers seven hybrid vehicles and has sold over 1 million hybrids in the United States (10 percent of all U.S. Toyota sales are hybrids) and over 2 million worldwide. The company has announced that in the future, it intends to offer hybrid version of every Toyota passenger model.

Toyota conventional fuel cars are also more fuel efficient and produce fewer emissions than the average for U.S. cars. In 2010, the EPA rated the Toyota Yaris, a conventional fuel car, the most efficient subcompact, with 29 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, and a total of seven Toyota cars were rated at 30 mpg or higher for highway driving. Toyota Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for cars in 2009 was over 36 mpg (versus the industry average of between 31–32 mpg), Toyota averaged just under 26 mpg for CAFÉ and for trucks versus the industry average of just over 23 mpg. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for new Toyota cars and trucks were both below the industry average in 2009.

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