Toyota's commitment to hybrid automobiles was on full display Thursday when it unveiled its most expensive gasoline-electric vehicle yet -- the 15 million yen ($124,000) luxury sedan Lexus LS.
Executives at Japan's No. 1 automaker are fully convinced that hybrid cars are the way of the future. And they're betting that growing consumer concern about the environment -- and higher gas prices -- will lure even wealthy buyers to the new model, which went on sale Thursday in Japan and will arrive later elsewhere.
Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto denied hybrids were "a transitional technology" that will be replaced by more advanced ecological technology in the future.
"As long as cars exist, the need for hybrid technology will remain," Takimoto said.
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