Toyota Might Consider Speeding Up 2020 Hybrid Introduction Schedule
By Greg Johnson April 23, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
(subscription required) reports that a Toyota Motor Corp. official believes that rising interest in fuel-efficient cars might require the automaker to speed up its original timetable for producing hybrid versions of all of its models by therend of the next decade.
The newspaper report includes this quote from Toyota Managing Officer Loei Saga: "I believe Toyota needs to accelerate the 2020 goal to hybridize all the Toyota models."
But the report also says that Saga made it clear that no decision has been made on speeding up the company's hybrid timetable.Saga also said, without elaboration, that Toyota plans to market a hybrid version of its RAV4 sport-utility vehicle "as soon as possible" in China.
Once that happens, Toyota is likely to produce versions for other markets, including the U.S.
The automaker has said for several years that it wants to be able to market hybrid versions of every model in its lineup - as it determines that there is a market for each model.
Greg Johnson, Contributor
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