Energy Research

At Toyota, our vision for a mobile society in harmony with the environment extends across all of our operations and through the full life cycle of our products - from design to production to use to disposal. When it comes to energy, we strive to match the choice of energy solutions to local resources and conditions. Our researchers around the world are working on local solutions to fuel a sustainable society.

• We've established a battery research division dedicated to the pursuit of an innovative next-generation battery. As part of our commitment to hybrid powertrains, we will increase annual battery production capacity at Panasonic EV Energy to one million in 2010.
  
  
• Our in-house biotech engineers are developing cleaner and more efficient methods of producing ethanol from wood-waste rather than food crops. We are also researching ways to combine solar power generation and other sources of clean energy with biofuels in the quest for cars that produce zero CO2 emissions
  
  
• Here in the U.S., our new vehicles are designed to use 10% ethanol. E85 capable flex-fuel 2010 Tundras and Sequoias equipped with the 5.7-liter V8 engines are now available in select regions.
  
  
• In Brazil, where abundant sugar cane production provides a reliable source of inexpensive fuel ethanol, Toyota is marketing a flex-fuel vehicle than can run on up to 100% biofuel.
  
  
• Since 2005, Nippon Oil Corporation and Toyota have been jointly developing bio hydrofined diesel (BHD), a second-generation biodiesel fuel.