Automotive and Sustainable Development

Automotive and Sustainable Development For a durable development, many car manufacturers makes the environment a pillar of their industrial and trade policy. The example of Toyota cars shows the growing dimension of environmental concern in the automotive industry. The Japanese firm is operating in two directions, the policy of "zero discharge� and in the policy of "zero waste" (recycling of materials).

* Policy of "zero discharge"
Low power consumption (water, electricity)
Low emissions (carbon dioxide)
* Policy of "zero waste"
No small amount of waste production and reuse in the production process (plastic)
Quality of waste water (water reprocessing stations)
Waste recovery contingencies (incineration of waste in approved centers)

The Toyota Yaris illustrates the imperative of respect for the environment. Produced in 1999, it has an intelligent engine with variable valve timing that meets the European anti-pollution standards. Its design allows the recycling and reuse of many of its components, including removing all the metal parts as possible. The materials used in construction are marked as the best method of recycling when the vehicle will be at the end its life. Indeed, Toyota created the first factory in the world of mass production of recycled products from ELV. Thus, the Toyota Yaris has moved to the top of Toyota's car sales in Europe. It was voted Car of the Year in Europe, its sales have doubled between 1999 and 2004 (134,717 in 1999 and 227,616 in 2004), increasing its market share of 1.8% to 4.5 %.

Similarly, the Toyota Prius has proved this point of view, a flagship of the Japanese Automobile brand. This is a hybrid vehicle combining petrol and electric motors as the Environmental Agency and the Energy Management (ADEME) has topped the gasoline vehicles less polluting. It reduces pollution by recovering energy during braking. At the battery, the Toyota Prius will now be equipped with a Lithium-ion battery to double the electrical capacity while reducing weight. Even if the cost of this type of battery is a barrier to its development is an inevitable development for hybrid and electric cars.

The evolution of industrial policy of Toyota will be imitated by most car manufacturers in the short or medium term. This is the case of Peugeot-Citroen (which broke new ground with its particulate filter), Opel (who decided to combine a diesel engine to electric power) or Renault, which will invest in the market for clean cars Not only the technology of fuel cells and hybrid will be exploited, but the brand will introduce massive vehicles in Europe run on bio-fuel. With the technology already marketed in Brazil Flexfuel, 50% of Renault petrol engines sold in 2009 will run on ethanol. A similar development is envisaged for the diesel with Diester.