Toyota to make plug-in hybrid by 2010

By Martin LaMonica on 12 June 2008

Toyota plans to produce lithium-ion batteries next year for a plug-in hybrid vehicle available in 2010.

The "energy monitor" in a Camry hybrid shows where the car's power is coming from

At a company-sponsored environmental forum in Tokyo on Thursday, Toyota said that its plug-in hybrid car will be "geared toward fleet customers in Japan, (the) United States, and Europe". Also at the forum the company outlined its greenhouse gas reduction and clean-technology plans.

A joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic EV Energy plans to begin production of lithium-ion batteries next year and move to full-scale production in 2010. Using the battery, Toyota plans to introduce a small electric vehicle for mass production.

Toyota's Prius, with over a million sold, uses a nickel metal hydride battery. Lithium ion batteries, which are heavily used in consumer electronics, are being built into an upcoming generation of petrol-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars.

Later in the month, Toyota plans to establish a research-and-development centre for next-generation batteries that will outperform lithium ion batteries. The company, which also continues to invest in fuel-cell vehicles, recently began a lease program in Japan.

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