Cologne, Germany - Toyota's new president for Germany is pushing hybrid cars and "cleaner" motoring in a bid to protect the environment in Europe's biggest economy. "Climate protection and hybrid technology, which is not so well known in Germany, will be our main goals in the future," says Keiji Sudo, who has been in charge of Toyota Deutschland for two months.
Hybrid engines, combining electric and petrol-driven motors, will become more efficient and have a greater variety so they can be used in "a wide range of models," Sudo says.
Toyota has become the world's number one in hybrid motors since it brought its first model on the market in 1997. Today the Japanese company is far ahead of its German rival BMWs, VW and others in this fuel-efficient technology.
Many competitors are only just starting to offer hybrids, while the Japanese carmaker is already developing theird-generation models.
Asked about BMW'S alliance with DaimlerChrysler to develop a hybrid engine, Sudo said: "In the future, we'll face stiff competition, but at the moment we have the advantage of being in a pioneering role."
Toyota last year produced 320,000 hybrid cars. In Europe they are available in the Toyota Prius and the luxury model Lexus. This summer the hybrid Lexus LS 600h will debut in Germany.
The world's second biggest carmaker after General Motors, Toyota has been on a roll in Germany for the past seven years. Following a a sales increase of nearly 10 per cent in 2006 to 148,000 vehicles, the company is targeting a figure of 200,000 in 2010.
Its recently introduced Auris model, which was largely developed in Europe, is seen as another drawing card. Toyota has set a sales target of 30,000 in the next 12 months, a company spokeswoman said.
Turnover for the business year that ended March 31 last increased to 2.3 billion euros (3 billion dollars), with forecasts of an even higher sum for the current fiscal years.
"Quantity and volume, or being in first or second place does not mean much to us. It's quality and technological advances that are important. If you get those right, sales and profit will follow," says Sudo.
Toyota is determined to continue taking advantage of its environmentally friendly image despite scepticism from many of its German rivals.
"The hybrid model Prius is taking on the role as an ambassador for an environmentally friendly car," says Sudo, 50.
But he was not happy with the recent comment by a German Green party politician, Renate Kuenast, who urged Germans to buy a Toyota hybrid as a contribution to protecting the climate.
"we are reluctant to be drawn into the political arena in this manner," he said.
In addition to Toyota's petroleum electric hybrid, an other environmentally friendly car is the "clean diesel" offered by its D- Cat engines available in the Avensis, RAV4 and Auris models. In contrast to other particle filters, this technology is the only one that also eliminates nitric oxide, according to Toyota.
Trucks in Japan are already equipped with diesel-hybrid engines and in the Asian country as well as in the US Toyota has been testing cars that use fuel cells.
"We are still in the test phase, but in the long-term it is something that might be of interest for the German market," according to Sudo.
Progress in hybrid technology also means a step in the direction of hydrogen powered fuel cell engines which emit only water vapour.
Sudo says the recent decision by the European Union to slash carbon dioxide emissions for new cars to an average 120 grams per kilometre by 2012 is "a major challenge for us."
But he doesn't think much of other climate protection measures mentioned in Germany, such as car-free weekends or a general speed limit on motorways.
"It might be a sign that people are becoming more environmentally conscious, but it is not a solution," says Sudo, adding that driving fast and motoring pleasure is part of the quality of life for many Germans.
But the Toyota boss himself is not a speedster: "I enjoy relaxed driving in city traffic and drive cautiously on the autobahn."
