Already one of the top automakers in green car engineering, Toyota is taking their efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions a few steps further. As well as working to reduce the effects of the "urban-heat island phenomenon"¹, the Japanese automaker has recently turned their focus to bio-fuels. Toyota has begun pioneering research into something called cellulosic ethanol - a yeast produced from non-edible plants.

The recently developed yeast ferments xylose, the sugar produced by plant fibers as they break down. This enzymatic saccharification process, as it's called, is difficult to achieve with naturally occurring yeasts. This new yeast efficiently ferments xylose, is resistant to fermentation-inhibiting substances, and achieves one of the highest ethanol fermentation levels in the world. This will significantly reduce bio-fuel production costs, the carbon footprint of fuel production, and increase bio-fuel quality.

Research and development has only just begun on this technology. But, the Japanese automaker is projecting that their goal of creating a commercialized cellulosic ethanol should be reached by 2020.

As for their other efforts, Smart Green Parking and the wire-based Smart Green Wall, both went on sale this month through the Toyota Roof Garden Corporation. The products aim to use plants to cool asphalt and indoor spaces, respectively.

We know that's a lot of information to absorb. But the point is, driving out of Magnussen's Toyota of Palo, located at 690 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA in an eco-friendly car like the 2011 Prius not only reduces your carbon footprint, but it supports Toyota's mission to a greener, healthier world for everybody.

Source: ¹http://www.torquenews.com/397/toyota-reveals-breakthrough-cellulosic-ethanol-production