Toyota Motor Europe (TME) was confirmed as the automotive industry leader with lowest CO2 emissions in the recently published 2010 final report by the European Commission and European Environmental Agency. The fleet-wide CO2 average for TME was 112.2 g/km (comprising of both Toyota and Lexus vehicles), well below the industry average of 140 g/km and some 16 g/km ahead of the Commission’s 128.35 g/km target for TME.
The recent results form an integral part of the Commission’s aims for lowering CO2 emissions. As a first-of-its-kind report, the 2010 and 2011 results will be used as indicators for the automotive industry to determine the distance to reach each manufacturer’s 2012 target. Under current regulations, the 2010 report looks at the 65% lowest emitting vehicles for each manufacturer.
The target for TME of 128.35 g/km was set based on the 564,633 new Toyota and Lexus car registrations over the course of 2010 in European Union Member States. Using fleet emissions calculation methods for 2015, taking into account 100% of the fleet, TME’s fleet-wide average CO2 emissions in 2010 was 129 g/km, just 0.7 g/km above the company’s target, and already below the Commission’s 2015 industry target of 130 g/km accounting for 100% of the fleet.
The recent result not only confirms Toyota’s environmental leadership, but also validates the company’s long-term global strategy towards clean and sustainable mobility through the introduction and mass marketing vehicles with full hybrid technology. First launched in 1997 in Japan (and in 2000 in Europe), the Toyota Prius was the world’s first mass-produced full hybrid vehicle, quickly becoming a perennial favourite. This year, the Prius will be joined by two new members in the Prius Family – the seven-seater Prius+ and Prius Plug-in Hybrid.
Toyota believes hybrid technology is one of the most effective and practical ways to lower emissions and increase fuel efficiency with significant short- to mid-term results. The company is continuously improving its proven hybrid technology by lowering the weight of battery packs and improving the efficiency of its Hybrid Synergy Drive. Toyota is also developing other technologies to advance green mobility in the future, with solutions ranging from bio-fuels to electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The recent Tokyo Motor Show saw the release of two new concepts – the ultra-compact and light-weight electric FT-EV III, suitable for short city trips, and a fuel cell sedan, the FCV-R, a working platform for a model introduction in 2015.