Ok, so it isn't a complete leap for the company that brought you the Prius over a decade ago to bring a little eco-friendliness into the automotive mix. Even still, Toyota has some exciting new hybrid models set to debut at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.
Let's start with the Yaris. Not the ultra-efficient model we have sitting in our new Toyota showroom. This is an all-new concept. Though it remains very efficient, Toyota has added a healthy dose of performance and dubbed it the Yaris Hybrid-R concept.
Featuring a 1.6-liter Global Race Engine and two electric motors, the vehicle is designed combine acceleration with economy. It can function at high speeds with all-wheel drive all while operating on a hybrid platform.
The emissions are dwindling down even further as Toyota will also put their Fuel Cell technology on display. Given their plans to launch a hydrogen model into production by 2015, we could be catching a glimpse at what's in store for the future.
Finally, Toyota is hosting a conference at the event that will likely focus on environmentally conscious initiatives. The manufacturer has recently announced that they will release 16 new or refreshed hybrid models by 2015. So perhaps they'll also fill attendees in on the latest developments.
Rest assured, we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for more news from Germany. Whenever we come across something good we'll report it back on our Marion Toyota blog. To make sure you stay in the loop, add us to your RSS Feed or simply stop into our Marion, IL dealership and we'd be happy to catch you up.
