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One for the Nature
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Hybrid expert Toyota to come up with a unique model
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Toyota, the current world leader in hybrid technology was the first manufacturer to offer a hybrid car to the general public in 1997 — the Toyota Prius. Over the years, the Japanese carmaker has expanded its hybrid portfolio and now, has four hybrid car models on sale across the globe — the Prius, RX400h SUV, the GS450h family saloon and the LS600h luxury saloon.
According to Toyota, it has cut down CO2 emissions by approximately seven million tons with the help of its 1.5 million hybrid vehicles on the road.
In the immediate future, we will get the plug-in hybrid that can be recharged using a regular household power socket. The use of household electricity will reduce the dependence of the electric motor on the gasoline engine to recharge, which in turn will increase range as the gasoline engine will be used less. It will help to cut down CO2 emissions that cause global warming.
Toyota plans to launch of its plug-in hybrid in 2010. Currently, the prototype can run only 13km on batteries. It isn’t much. But the company is developing higher performance batteries that weigh less and will help to increase the range. It is estimated that if renewable sources of energy are used to power the household, which in turn charges your plug-in hybrid, CO2 emissions can be brought down to zero. This is reportedly Toyota’s ultimate aim.
While Honda has been the first to offer the Civic Hybrid in the Indian market, the price tag will keep it beyond the reach of many consumers. Given the increasing concerns over global warming, the Government ought to seriously consider giving hybrid vehicles a tax break to make them more affordable. If we have to keep on buying cars, such vehicles should be our first choice, and if they were more affordable the choice would be made easier.
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