Carmakers release environmentally friendly vehicles in Japan

The release of environmentally friendly vehicles in Japan gives consumers more choices and has stimulated the car market. Toyota Motor Corp. released its first plug-in hybrid in late January, and BMW AG also began selling its mainstay sedan with a fuel-efficient engine. Mazda, on the other hand will soon launch a new SUV with a new diesel engine. Toyota has received some 3,000 pre-orders for its new plug-in hybrid, which can travel 26.4 kilometers on a fully charged battery. The 3.2–4.2 million yen (US$39,723-52,163) car comes with five complementary services for three years. The fuel efficiency of the engine of BMW‘s latest addition to its 3 series had been improved by 24%, and its price starts at 5.7 million yen (US$70,763). BMW said it will release a fuel-efficient diesel vehicle early this year and will add three more diesel vehicles until the end of this year. Mazda too, is jumping on the bandwagon with the introduction of a new SUV in February. The SUV will have a diesel engine which will be as powerful as a gasoline engine, with an 80% displacement, and a fuel economy that the company says is the best among SUVs, hybrids included. (January 31, 2012)