Though hybrid cars have become quite common in recent times, it’s hard to forget that it was Toyota that popularized the technology with its best-selling Prius. That was at a time when most leading car manufacturers were in the race to introduce their own hybrid cars. However, with emission regulations getting tougher, Toyota is working on bringing out cars ‘greener’ than what we have now.
An example of a car that is a notch greener than the hybrids is the Leaf, introduced by Nissan. Toyota intends to implement even more advanced technology by launching a new fuel cell model in Europe by 2015. Though Toyota won’t claim that it is the first company to introduce a hydrogen-powered car, it will most certainly be the first company to sell the technology-powered cars to the masses.
The zero-emission hydrogen car by Toyota will be sold in markets across Europe in a period of four years. However, the numbers again, will be limited as the cars will come at a price that will be sky high. This is mainly attributed to the employment of very highly advanced technology.
At the same time, Toyota is careful not to downplay the importance of hybrid cars by mentioning that while hybrids can be used for everyday commuting as well as weekend trips, a pure battery-powered vehicle is suited only for small trips across the city. How Toyota manages to stand up to competition from established brands, that only have the problem of pollution as a disadvantage, is to be seen.
