• USA Today, Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12 PM

Toyota will have gas-electric vehicles that can be recharged from a home electrical outlet on the road in the U.S. and Europe by 2010, according to company president Katsuaki Watanabe. They will use Lithium-ion batteries -- now common in laptops -- that produce more power and are smaller than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrids now. It will initially target leasing customers.

Toyota also says it's setting up a research department later this month to develop an innovative battery that can outperform even that lithium-ion battery. Toyota is also working on fuel cell vehicles, which produce no pollution by running on the energy produced when hydrogen combines with oxygen in the air to produce water. It is also improving mileage of all its existing models, including gasoline engine and clean diesel vehicles.

Watanabe says developing breakthrough technology is critical to allow Toyota and other automakers to continue to grow while avoiding damage to the environment. "Without focusing on measures to address global warming and energy issues, there can be no future for our auto business," he says.

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