Toyota to produce hybrid vehicles by 2015

Building the group's largest R&D center near Shanghai

CHANGSHU, Jiangsu province - Toyota Motor Corp announced over the weekend that it will produce hybrid vehicles and key components in China in 2015 to cash in on the fledgling yet promising market for green cars.

"We've decided to develop vehicles equipped with hybrid powertrains that are made in China and will try to start production and sales at our Chinese joint ventures in 2015," said Akio Toyoda, Toyota's president.