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In this final part of our series of articles about the mighty Toyota motor corporation, we take a look at some of the innovations which set them apart from the competition in the cut-throat world of automotive technology.

Toyota is always looking towards the future and is always leading the way in innovation and technology. Toyota is currently working on a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle that will run in the EV mode for short distances and use the hybrid technology for longer drives. A Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) will make efficient use of electricity and can further reduce CO2 emissions.

The PHV will be easy to recharge from a household electrical outlet. This type of hybrid technology has been developed over many years. Toyota has increased the secondary battery capacity and extended the cruising range of the EV driving mode by 13km. This will reduce fuel costs and help reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution. Another possibility that Toyota is working on is using electricity generated from solar energy. They are planning to make the PHV equipped with lithium-ion batteries commercially available by the end of 2009.

The Toyota FCHV, which stands for fuel cell hybrid vehicle, has water as the only substance emitted. There is zero CO2 or harmful emissions and it uses high pressure hydrogen for fuel. It features a hybrid system that combines fuel cells with secondary batteries to generate electricity through a hydrogen oxygen chemical reaction. When the hydrogen reacts chemically with the oxygen to generate electricity the only by-product is water.

One thing that Toyota was working on to improve in the FCHV is the cruising range which was about 330km. This issue was overcome in the newer model FCHV-adv which has a cruising range of about 830km per tank. It is now possible to start the vehicle in cold climates with temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius; which means this vehicle can be driven anywhere in the world. Long distance driving tests are being conducted in Japan and abroad. FCHV buses are being used in commercial operations at the Central Japan International Airport. There are also other tests and research being conducted and they are working towards putting this vehicle into commercial production. They are also working on resolving issues related to hydrogen production, construction, and development of infrastructures to make it easy for widespread use of the Toyota FCHV.

Car of the Future?
The concept Toyota 1/Xth has a significantly lighter body than any other, which helps reduces consumption of unnecessary energy as well as CO2 emissions. Toyota went back to square one and developed an eco-concept car by reconsidering what a car should be. Just by changing the approach to making cars they have reduced a car's negative impact. This includes gross weight, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions to "one Xth" of industry standards.

They developed the car by starting at the foundation and every aspect of the car was scrutinized including the specifications, performance, and materials used to manufacture the car. The Toyota 1/X has the cabin space size comparable to the current Toyota Prius. The big difference is the body of the 1/X is kept to a gross weight of 420kg or about one third the weight of a Prius. The reason for the difference in weight is because of the materials used; which include carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite material in its structure.

The lightweight body has made it possible to equip the 1/X with a lighter power train. The power train is a highly compact plug-in system capable of running on bio fuel. This gives the car an exceptionally high fuel economy, about twice as efficient as the Prius. Besides being environmentally friendly it has also made the Toyota 1/X quieter. The lighter weight also lessens the impact on the roads. If this concept car is to become the standard car of the future it would simplify specifications for road pavement, guardrails, and multi-level parking structures. Images released so far reveal a truly space-age looking vehicle worthy of transporting us to the future.

There is no doubt that with such technological breakthroughs and manufacturer confidence in their products, things will also change somewhat for the average car buyer. Certain considerations will take priority over previous ones, and things like car insurance, MOTs, gap cover and particularly car warranties will have to be tailored to suit the changing face of motoring to come.

Whilst remaining a driving force in the development of new technologies, Toyota is also dedicated to developing innovative safety features and concepts. They have broken down the driving situations into stages and their Integrated Safety Management Concept is to provide optimum driving support at all driving stages by coordinating various safety technologies and systems.

Toyota has developed various safety technologies for each stage of driving along with technology that is achieved by using recognition sensors built into the vehicle. The DSS computer will provide optimum driving support based on driving conditions to help prevent accidents. They will provide driving support not only by integrating individual systems into vehicles but by also adopting Vehicle Infrastructure Cooperative Systems which can obtain information from other vehicles in the vicinity.

They are developing many different technologies to help in all driving stages, such as the Intelligent Parking Assist that supports steering operations when parking. The Lane-Keeping Assist uses a camera to be able to detect when the vehicle is crossing over the lanes and gives a warning using a buzzer and also has a visual display. The Intelligent Adaptive Front-lighting System controls the motion of the headlights to enhance visibility. The Night View system uses a camera to display difficult to see objects such as pedestrians or animals. It has a display that assists the driver's visibility.

Toyota uses a driving simulator to study and analyze driving behaviour and uses their findings to develop safety technology. They have developed one of the largest driving simulators in the world. It can reproduce life-like driving sensations through video screens and acceleration simulators. The simulator allows engineers and researchers to reproduce traffic accidents and dangerous driving conditions. All this information is used to create safety features for their vehicles.

Toyota is looking ahead to the future in and is entirely committed to research and development. They think outside the box when it comes to conventional automotive concepts to improve the way people drive and the environment. Whilst such innovations will no doubt spare many lives as well as make the world a cleaner place to live, one cannot help but wonder if driving in the future will require any skill, or indeed possess any thrills or enjoyment, at all.

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The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the Click4Group unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.

Extending a car warranty will help protect you the car buyer against the unforeseen costs of the unexpected failure of specified components of the car.

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Toyota: Future Innovations