All Toyota models to have hybrid option

Toyota has this week announced that it will offer a hybrid option for all of its vehicles as the company seeks to make good on its goal of selling a million hybrids a year.

According to reports at AutoblogGreen.com, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe made the commitment in his annual New Year's speech outlining the company's plans.

He said that since 1997 Toyota has saved five million tonnes of carbon emissions through its hybrid engine innovations and that the technology would continue to play a key role in the automotive industry's attempts to limit its environmental impact.

He also reiterated plans for Toyota to develop a plug-in hybrid and announced that it is currently researching high performance lithium-ion batteries that could replace current nickel based units.

The potential for further environmental legislation to affect the car industry was also highlighted by Watanabe, who signalled that the company was ready to respond to such developments.

In separate news, General Motors yesterday launched a new website and blog called GMnext.com designed to promote green technologies.

"We're starting our second century at a time of fundamental change in the auto industry," said Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors. "We'll use GMnext to introduce some of our ideas for addressing critical issues concerning energy, the environment and globalisation. In the process, we also hope to spark a broader, global discussion on these important topics."