In a bid to introduce green cars globally, Toyota Motor Corp has announced to launch an all-electric car by 2012. The FT-EV concept was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday (January 11). The concept car from Toyota shared the platform with the tiny iQ urban commuter car, which runs on a gasoline engine and emits just 99 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

 

In a statement to the media, Irv Miller, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. group vice president said that it important for the company to fix its focus on future cars when its comes to commuting. According to Toyota, the concept car is targeted at the urban dweller driving up to 50 miles between home and work. The company is expected to strike a deal with rivals General Motors Corp and Nissan Motor Co in the race to grab the lead in the zero-emission car segment.

 

The car major, Toyota said that it still considers gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles as its long-term core powertrain technology. The company aims to sell 1 million hybrids annually soon after 2010. By then, Toyota will launch as many as 10 new hybrid models in the market. The company will soon launch its third generation Prius and the Lexus HS250h in Detroit. General Motors has also announced to launch its Chevrolet Volt electric car in the United States in late 2010. Chevrolet Volt will have a 40-miles range for driving on one battery charge.