Toyota Makes a Strong Showing at the LA Auto Show

As news coverage of the 2010 LA Auto Show continues, a lot of companies are using the event as their chance to spread news about their latest green vehicles. One of the companies that have been making the biggest announcements during the LA Auto Show is Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Even prior to the event, Toyota has been pulling no punches as they continue to expand their green vehicle portfolio. Earlier deals with electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and constant news on new electric and hydrogen models all seem to be coming together nicely with the Auto Show reveals.

Speaking of Toyota and Tesla's deal, the LA Auto Show has given green vehicle enthusiasts a chance to see one of the outcomes of the partnership that was forged earlier this year. The other day, Toyota unveiled their all new, all-electric RAV4 EV that was designed with Tesla's people. According to Toyota, the RAV4 EV is expected to have performance similar to that of the current V6 RAV4 models and will be undergoing prototype testing for a majority of the coming year and is expected to his production sometime in 2012. While exact technical details about the RAV4 EV are unknown, Toyota did reveal that Tesla is responsible for the lithium ion battery packs and other electric systems while Toyota is going to handle the vehicle assembly and overall design.

While the reveal of the RAV4 EV was one of Toyota's biggest at the LA Auto Show, it was not the end of their green vehicle announcements. Following the vehicle reveal, Toyota announced that the public could expect to see eleven new or redesigned hybrid automobile models from Toyota in the coming years. Aside from the RAVE4 EV, the company will also be releasing a new Prius hybrid model called the Prius V and has reaffirmed their commitment to working on the next generation of battery technology.

Toyota also announced that they had hoped to release a series of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles onto the market by 2015. Considering they were showing one of their hydrogen fuel cell prototypes, the FCHV-adv (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle-advanced), recently in London, it would seem that they are on course for pushing fuel cells in the next several years. Toyota is currently working on refining their fuel cell technology with prototypes like the FCHV-adv in order to ensure that they will be viable replacements for gasoline powered vehicles. The FCHV-adv is currently being shown on roadways in California and New York as a part of Toyota's demonstration program.

With Toyota making such a strong showing at the LA Auto Show, it will be interesting to see if they are able to stay strong in the next year as their plans continue to culminate. With any luck the company will be able to deliver on their promises and consumers will see a whole string of electric vehicle and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle releases in the next five to ten years.

Photo Credit: Toyota