Toyota plans to lease plug-in hybrid cars, that recharge from electrical outlets, by 2010. Toyota's announcement put it in direct competition with General Motors, which has announced plans to sell its own plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt, sometime around 2010.
Toyota's President, Katsuaki Watanabe, outlined the company's plans at the Detroit auto show as part of a series of environmental moves. Watanabe also announced that it would develop a fleet of plug-in hybrids that run on lithium-ion batteries, instead of the nickel-metal hydride batteries that power its curent models.
