Toyota's green room

TOKYO: (Nikkei) Toyota has announced that it will create an environmental department to direct the automaker's efforts to develop environmentally oriented products.

The new department, with 20 technical and administrative staff members, will focus on development of electric cars, efforts to lower auto emissions and expansion of recycling activities.

On Dec. 10, Toyota started to sell the world's first mass- produced hybrid passenger car, powered by both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. The new department is expected to strengthen the hybrid-car program.