Toyota Hybrid introduces a plug-in version with lithium-ion battery.

Toyota has announced plans to exceed the environmentally friendly success of the Hybrid car by introducing a plug-in version with a lithium-ion battery. A key part of its ‘green’ strategy, the new cars will be available in Japan, the US and Europe by 2010.

Teaming up with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, the company which produces Panasonic products, Toyota has announced it plans to begin producing the lithium-ion batteries in 2009.

The ecological gas electric vehicles will be recharged from a home electrical outlet due to the lithium-ion battery, which is the same battery used in laptops.

Toyota is continuously acting upon huge global issues by doing something about its rapidly changing market with green strategies. According to CNN.com, Toyota President, Katsuaki Watanabe, told reporters at a Tokyo hall: “Without focusing on measures to address global warming and energy issues, there can be no future for our auto business.”

Automobile hybrid technology has been around for over a decade, introducing its success in the 1990s when the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius became available. What is unique about them is that the car switches between a gas engine and an electric motor, delivering better mileage than standard cars. This reduces pollution and emissions linked to global warming.

The popularity of Hybrid cars is constantly growing due to environmental issues such as soaring oil prices and global warming threats. 

For more infomation, visit www.toyota.co.uk

By Jessica Wilcox