It’s even more green when running on the 100% renewable fuel.
The argument could be made that the Toyota Prius, as a product, was the catalyst that sparked the ongoing pursuit toward cleaner emissions and our much higher expectations for fuel economy today, that first petrol-electric hybrid that has eventually led to modern full EVs.
But there’s something still to be said about the internal combustion engine, and just because they emit gasses from an exhaust pipe doesn’t necessarily they are inherently bad for the environment. It’s fitting and even a little ironic, that Toyota has revealed the Prius FFV (Flexi-Fuel Vehicle) prototype, which is able to operate on either petrol or E100 ethanol.
Nissan has been on this path for a while now, so it’s nice to see Toyota embark down what could be a very interesting outcome for the traditional motor. When paired to an electric hybrid powertrain, the overall carbon footprint of burning plant-based fuels like E100 ethanol can actually be lower than a full EV.
This is why the Prius FFV was unveil in Brazil as the country is one of the largest producers of the renewable bio-fuel in the world, created as a byproduct of sugar cane fermentation, one of Brazil’s largest exports.
As the reliance on E100 ethanol increases, the resultantly increased allocation of crop plantation and innovative tiered farming can effective nullify the carbon offset from engines that require the bio-fuel over petrol or diesel. At least that’s the idea.
In the shorter term, because of its widespread availability there, leading to far lower running costs, Toyota hopes to drastically reduce the South American nation’s total CO2 levels and capitalise on the increasing popularity of their fourth-generation Prius.
This is part of Toyota’s larger “Environmental Challenge 2050” goal, where the automaker aims to reduce its collective carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent in comparison with levels measured in 2010, by the year 2050.
Another objective of the Environmental Challenge is to completely eliminate CO2 emissions from the vehicle lifecycle, including materials, parts and manufacturing. In line with that goal, Toyota also targets to have more than 5.5 million electrified vehicles in its global new vehicle sales by 2030.
"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. The invention demonstrates our journey in providing a new mobility society," 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.
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