Development of the Hybrid Vehicle and Its Future Expectation 2000-01-C042

Following its introduction into the Japanese market, the Prius, Toyota Motor Corporation's hybrid vehicle, was released onto the American and European markets in Mid-2000. This lecture will take the form of an explanation of the new technology used to meet the demands of the western market, including improved driving performance, lower emissions, down-sizing of the system and lower costs. The lecture will also look briefly at the new Toyota hybrid system, the THS-C, which is currently being developed. The talk will include a look at the future of the hybrid vehicle.