It can be difficult to find a company whose actions match their promises to protect the environment. Fortunately, Toyota is willing to put their money where their mouth is – providing reliable, sustainable, zero-emission power to the immaculate Yellowstone Park.
Completed in 2015, Toyota partnered with Indy Power Systems, Sharp USA SolarWorld, Patriot Solar, National Park Service, and Yellowstone Park Foundation to create an innovative solution for providing sustainable power generation to Yellowstone. The goal: maintain the pristine condition of the remote park as completely as possible. The solution: 208 used Camry Hybrid battery packs storing renewable electricity generated by solar panels! Thanks to the collaborated effort, Yellowstone Park’s ranger station and education center at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley are now run by renewable energy for the first time since its founding in 1907.
Toyota hopes to use the ranch as a model for environmental stewardship and create sustainable energy systems to power other remote locations. The repurposing of used hybrid batteries after their automotive lives have ended has an additional benefit: the batteries still retain significant storage capabilities and upcycling them extends their use to double the overall lifespan of hybrid batteries. Just another example of how Toyota is working to negate the environmental effects of their vehicles!
Speaking of – Toyota had done extensive work with Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation. Providing financial backing for the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center to the tune of 1 million dollars, as well as 4 Priuses, 1 Camry hybrid, and 1 Highlander hybrid to Yellowstone’s fleet, Toyota has shown they take the belief that they have a responsibility to help manage resources seriously. One excellent example is their use of the Japanese concept genchi genbutsu, which translates to “real location, real thing”. This key principle of the Toyota Production System believes that to fully grasp a problem and then solve it quickly and efficiently, one must first confirm the facts and then analyze root causes. By applying this concept of “go and see”, Toyota was able to help Yellowstone recognize its goal to become energy-independent of fossil fuels.
The Yellowstone sustainable energy system, harnessing used hybrid batteries, is the first of its kind – but Toyota is already working on how to implement and improve this model for other locations. As more partnerships are formed and new models created, Toyota is determined to be on the front lines of innovation. As the Chief Executive Officer for Toyota North America, Jim Lentz, so eloquently put it, “the opportunities are endless”. And Toyota is excited to be pioneering the path forward.
Image via pixabay.com | Licensed under Pixabay License
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