Ethanol and gasoline flexible fuelled hybrid unveiled by Toyota

Toyota has debuted a prototype of what it calls the world’s first hybrid flexible-fuel vehicle, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The flexible fuelled vehicle can be powered by both gasoline and ‘alternative fuels such as ethanol’.

Key to the new vehicle, according to Toyota, is a new hybrid system that combines a combustion engine and an electrical powertrain.

The new Hybrid FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) powertrain has been developed to popularise hybrid electric vehicles in Brazil in a bid to contribute to reductions in CO2 emissions.

“Toyota’s initial studies indicate that Hybrid FFV has a great advantage in environmental performance compared to a standard FFV, when we estimate CO2 emissions starting the extraction of the raw material, through its distribution at the fuel pumps to the ignition in the combustion process of the car,” says a statement from the Japanese car manufacturer.

“If it is fuelled only by sugarcane-based ethanol (E100 fuel), the results are even better.”

Toyota has set itself the challenge of reducing vehicle CO2 emissions by 90% compared with 2010 levels, by 2050. Another objective of what the company dubs its Environmental Challenge 2050 is to completely eliminate CO2 emissions from the vehicle lifecycle, including materials, parts and manufacturing.

"I am very proud of our Toyota do Brasil engineers that worked closely with our engineers in Japan to develop the world's cleanest hybrid vehicle that uses ethanol for our Brazilian customers,” said Steve St. Angelo, Senior Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation serving as CEO of Toyota Latin America Region and Caribbean, as well as Chairman of Toyota do Brasil.

“The invention demonstrates our journey in providing a new mobility society."

The prototype vehicle is based on Toyota’s Prius model.