Toyota Motor Corp plans to commercialize a diesel hybrid subcompact car as early as 2010 in cooperation with its ally Isuzu Motors Ltd, which is strong in diesel engine technologies, informed sources said Saturday.
Diesel hybrid vehicles, which run on a diesel engine and an electric motor, are considered more fuel efficient than currently common gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, and cleaner than diesel engine vehicles in terms of gas emissions. There are some diesel hybrid trucks in actual use, but in order to apply the technology to cars, it is necessary to reduce the size and weight of the engine and motor, and to lower prices as well, the sources said.
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