Toyota plans greener engines, more hybrids and even an electric car to cut carbon dioxide emissions. The company has unveiled a broad-ranging set of plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It wants to cut atmospheric pollution and reduce the use of fossil fuels, particularly petrol. To achieve this, it is revamping its engine and transmission range, a process which has already started, with a V6 engine it introduced in 2003. Other engines in the pipeline include a new 1.8-litre engine, and there will also be a new continuously variable transmission for small and mid-sized cars. The new 1.8-litre engine will feature ultra-light, friction-reducing components, which give a 5% improvement in fuel economy. It also uses VVT-i technology (variable valve timing – intelligent), which improves low-down pull and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Alongside these developments, Toyota aims to double the number of hybrid models available by the early 2010s. It’s also investing in research into plug-in hybrid cars (cars you charge from an external source), and is developing an all-electric car. Finally, bioethanol will play a part in Toyota’s green plans. Soon, all its petrol engines will be able to run with 10% bioethanol content. […]