Toyota (GB) plc
In terms of sales, the Toyota Motor Corporation is the world largest car manufacturer. But this enormous company - founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda - is also a world leader in automotive innovation.
Now also available in the Auris, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system offers a choice of Eco and Power modes, giving the driver the flexibility to choose between reduced emissions or an even more responsive drive. In pursuit of its overall goal of zero emissions, Toyota is actively developing other power source ideas. The FT-EV II is an electric vehicle for urban and short commuting trips. Plug-in hybrids are in the pipeline for launch by 2012, giving an extended range in the silent, emission-free EV mode.
By 2015, Toyota will have banked its 40 years of hybrid experience into the launch of a fuel cell hybrid vehicle using Hybrid Synergy Drive as a core technology.
