Consistently improving the efficiency of its vehicles, Toyota is committed to addressing global environmental issues through a wide variety of research and development activities. Recognising the importance of energy diversification, Toyota is leading the drive towards sustainable mobility through the goal of the ultimate Eco Car.

The continuous development of powertrain technology is crucial to improving the environmental performance of vehicles, and Toyota has identified three key goals:

· Improved fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions

· Cleaner exhaust emissions for improved air quality

· Energy diversification to counter decreasing oil reserves

Toyota is taking an environmental lead through the simultaneous development of new technologies on two fronts: Toyota Optimal Drive, which focuses on optimising the efficiency of the current petrol and diesel engine line-up, and Hybrid Synergy Drive®, which will serve as a core technology applicable to all future models.

TOYOTA OPTIMAL DRIVE

Introduced at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Toyota Optimal Drive showcases a combination of wide-ranging advanced technologies and internal improvement programmes designed to optimise the balance of performance and driving enjoyment with fuel economy and low emissions.

Incorporated, as standard, in every Toyota, these diverse core technologies focus on three key aspects of powertrain development: the reduction of engine weight, the reduction of unnecessary mechanical losses and the maximisation of combustion efficiency.

Reduced Engine Weight

Weight is the enemy of fuel consumption. Toyota has developed super-lightweight and highly compact engine blocks and transmissions. For example, featuring a lightweight resin cylinder head cover and intake manifold, the1.33 litre petrol engine in the Yaris is the lightest and most compact powertrain in its class, weighing 13kg less than the 1.4 VVT-i engine it replaces.

Reduced Mechanical Losses

Further engine efficiency has been achieved by the painstaking reduction of friction throughout the new powertrain range. Revised roller rocker technology incorporates new camshaft profiles for friction reduction in the valve gear. Enhanced bore circularity and lightweight, coated pistons reduce friction in combustion chambers. Increased engine block rigidity, the adoption of a water jacket spacer and the use of low-viscosity oil further reduce mechanical friction.

Maximised Combustion Efficiency

Every Toyota drivetrain incorporates several key technologies to maximise combustion efficiency and fuel economy. Petrol engine efficiency is enhanced through a high, 11.5:1 compression ratio, the refinement of intake port and combustion chamber design, and the introduction of piston cooling by oil jet.

Newly developed Valvematic technology further improves performance through the optimisation of valve timing and lift across the widest possible engine revolution band. Toyota Valvematic can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to a quarter, whilst generating 20% more power than VVT-i.

Toyota’s proven D-4D common rail diesel technology reduces intake mixture temperature, allowing for a higher compression ratio and the generation of increased torque. Every D-4D unit in the Toyota range has now been upgraded with advanced Piezo high-pressure injectors to further improve combustion efficiency.

Performance, driving pleasure and fuel efficiency are further enhanced through a range of technologically advanced, highly responsive Multidrive and 6-speed manual transmissions. And a newly refined Stop & Start system automatically switches off the engine when the vehicle is stationary, reducing fuel consumption by up to 15% under urban driving conditions.

Hybrid Synergy Drive

Hybrid Synergy Drive® is a core Toyota technology contributing to increased fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions with a lower CO₂ content. Toyota is committed to increasing the availability of hybrid drive train technology within its product range.

With the launch of the Prius in 1997 (2000 in Europe), Toyota introduced the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. Today, despite increased competition, the Prius remains the world’s most widespread hybrid, with sales of over 1.2 million achieved by the end of 2008. European sales of the Prius stand at almost 130,000, with sales of more than 41,000 in 2008 alone, and a target of 60,000 units in 2010.

The next generation Prius features a revised Hybrid Synergy Drive® powertrain, combining lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions with increased power for enhanced driving pleasure.

Toyota is committed to a further reduction in the size, weight and cost of key hybrid components such as the electric motor, inverter and batteries.

Already manufacturing hybrid vehicles in China and the United States, Toyota intends to expand overseas production to include Thailand and Australia, with the goal of selling 1 million hybrid vehicles by early 2010s.

PREPARING FOR TOMORROW

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle

Verification tests are currently being conducted in Japan, the United States and Europe on a new, Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV). Toyota’s plug-in hybrid functions as an electric vehicle on short trips and a conventional hybrid when travelling longer distances.As with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive® vehicles, the PHV runs on both a petrol-powered internal combustion engine and an electric motor. What sets the plug-in apart from current hybrids, however, is an increased battery capacity that enables a longer electric-only cruising range, and a battery charging function that allows users to fully recharge the batteries externally, using an ordinary household electrical supply, in less than two hours.The Plug-in Hybrid’s enhanced EV mode offers significant driver benefits. Compared to the Prius, the PHV is able to run more often in petrol-free, electric-only mode, thus reducing CO₂ emissions even further.Targeting the fleet market in Japan, the United States and Europe, Toyota will introduce a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle equipped with a lithium-ion battery by 2010.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV)

Producing electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen (stored in the vehicle) and oxygen (from the air), with water the only emission, a fuel cell structure comprises electrodes and polyelectrolyte films sandwiched between separators. When hundreds of cells are stacked together, the result is a fuel cell ‘stack’, known as an FC stack.

Toyota began work on FCHVs in 1992, developing its own hydrogen fuel cells and high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks in house. The company applies its own hybrid drive technology to FCHV development, replacing petrol engines with fuel cells, and its FC stack is a performance leader in fuel cell technology.The world’s first production fuel cell vehicle, the Toyota FCHV, was introduced to the market in 2002 and obtained type certification in 2005.Toyota’s next generation fuel cell hybrid, the FCHV-adv, featuring a newly designed, high-performance Toyota FC Stack fuel cell, received vehicle-type certification from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on June 3^rd 2008.
The Toyota FCHV-adv offers a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency and, through the use of Toyota-developed, 70Mpa high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, has a single-fill-up cruising range of approximately 830 km -more than twice the cruising range of its predecessor, the Toyota FCHV. Furthermore, the TOYOTA FCHV-adv will operate in –30 degrees Celsius, greatly improving its cold weather performance.

Future Toyota Electric Vehicles (FT-EV) Concept

Through the development of its hybrid, RAV4-EV and e-com vehicles, Toyota has accumulated an unprecedented depth of knowledge and engineering capability in the field of eco-vehicles. The demand for short distance commuter vehicles is expected to increase in the coming years, and the new FT-EV concept is a fully electric vehicle based on the Toyota iQ’s highly compact platform. Its powerful electric motor generates 45 kW and 160 Nm at 2,690 rpm. It has a top speed of 110 km/h, a range of 80 km before recharging and a zero emission rating.