Toyota Motor Corp. Develops New Hybrid Auto Fuel System

Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan) announced that it has developed a new hybrid auto fuel system that it believes will improve efficiency by 15 percent over conventional vehicles and reduce emissions. The company reports that the system is easy to adapt.

The first model equipped with the new system, called the Toyota Hybrid System-Mild (THS-M), will be released in autumn 2001. It is powered by a 36V battery and uses a motor-generator instead of the belt-driven alternator used in conventional engines. The The THS-M has been on public display since May 2001.