Toyota sought to connect itself with the environmental movement with its Surfrider Camry Hybrid CNG at the 2009 SEMA Show. Visitors to the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas saw a Toyota Camry equipped with a compressed natural gas (CNG) system from Metal Crafters. This concept Camry produces 170 horsepower and travels 250 miles on a single tank. Toyota has committed to giving the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit working to clean up beaches and waterways, a production model of the Camry Hybrid CNG by the end of this year.
Toyota’s presentation at the 2009 SEMA Show went beyond the buzz around the Surfrider Camry Hybrid CNG. The automaker brought along two modified versions of the Prius to demonstrate its creativity with an established and popular vehicle. The Prius Aerius features Super E-Spec tires made from 80% non-petroleum materials and True seats made from 100% recycled polyester. The Prius Aemulus is a production version of the Prius Aerius without the “green” tires donated after SEMA to the Environmental Media Association.
The 2009 SEMA Show revealed yet again that Toyota is interested in making its components and accessories more sustainable. The Prius concepts highlighted at SEMA feature Crystalline Automotive Window Film to block UV rays and reduce the need for air conditioning. Toyota worked with Ultrafabrics to create interior components using a nearly emission-free process for producing polyurethane. Both concepts featured interior door and dashboard elements by 3form, which uses resin made from recycled birch trees and industrial materials in the production process. In the end, however, we have to ask whether Toyota is stepping in the right direction and the right pace to keep up with the green vehicle competition.
Toyota certainly made a strong PR push with its donations to the Surfrider Foundation and the Environmental Media Association. The CNG system in the Camry hybrid is great as one part of a larger green vehicle puzzle but is nowhere near the system needed for a signature vehicle in the 21st century. Toyota is smart to stick by the Prius for now as it is widely considered a reliable vehicle among average consumers. In the next decade, however, the Prius will begin to look like a relic as other automakers boost fuel mileage and decrease emissions. Toyota can add recycled seats and eco-friendly wraps to its vehicles but until its drive systems advance significantly, the automaker may succumb to the same fate as the Big Three and other unimaginative automakers.
