Toyota Prius With 62 MPG Target

Toyota now says its Prius can do 62 mpg. Jim Colon, Toyota vice president for product communication, made this announcement last week:  "Whatever goal [the Obama administration] establishes, Toyota will be prepared to meet. If it's 62 miles a gallon, we'll be able to achieve that."

Mr. Colon said the new rules "excite" Toyota, and the company is "already going in that direction."

But Toyota is going at it alone - members of the auto lobbying group, the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, attacked House of Reps leadership on the feasibility of meeting a 62 mpg target - they feel it is unfair to the American auto industry.

According to Auto News: "Martha Voss, another Toyota spokeswoman, said which a carmaker was not endorsing a 62 mpg aim, adding which Toyota considers it too early to pinpoint the figure until studies suggest more information as well as other factors have been considered."

Toyota is a the beginning of a long battle - almost every other auto maker either already has or is coming out with a hybrid version of one of their cars. One Korean auto maker has stated all of their vehicles will reach 5o miles per gallon minimum by 2025 - hybrid or not.

With Toyota, anything (even a 62 mile per gallon exclamation) is possible.

[SOURCE]