Toyota says the "P" word (as in "peak oil")

Plug-in and hybrid vehicles are taking center stage at this week’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and one auto company has actually dared to say why: peak oil.

In announcing the debut of its FT-EV concept car, Toyota Motor Sales USA said it’s looking beyond the current financial troubles and crumbling US auto industry.

“Now, more than ever, while we are so focused on the pressing issues of the moment, we cannot lose sight of our future,: said Irv Miller, vice president of environmental and public affairs for Toyota Motor Sales. “Last summer’s four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly. It was a brief glimpse of our future.”

Miller continued, “We must address the inevitability of peak oil by developing vehicles powered by alternatives to liquid-oil fuel, as well as new concepts, like the iQ, that are lighter in weight and smaller in size. This kind of vehicle, electrified or not, is where our industry must focus its creativity.”

Toyota’s iQ, a fuel-efficient and low-emissions mini-car, has already proven popular in Japan, and the company hopes to expand upon that success globally. It’s already set an annual sales goal of one million gas-electric hybrid vehicles by the early 2010s, and plans to release up to 10 new hybrid models by then. Two of those have already been unveiled at this week’s auto show: the third-generation Prius and the Lexus HS250h.

As Miller put it, the 21st century auto industry will need to be about more than just autos.

“Our business is no longer about simply building and selling cars and trucks,” he said. “It is about finding solutions to mobility challenges today and being prepared for more daunting challenges in our very near future.”