Toyota to Release Battery Operated Car.

Toyota Motor Corp., working to hold a lead in advanced vehicles over General Motors Corp. and smaller startups, plans to sell a tiny, battery-powered car in the U.S. by 2012 that can be recharged at electrical outlets. A concept version of the FT-EV "urban commuter" car will be at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit starting tomorrow, Toyota said in a statement. The world's largest seller of hybrids didn't say how much the model, a modified version of the iQ minicar sold in Japan, may cost. Toyota is readying the FT-EV as alternatives to gasoline expand. They range from plug-ins, including a version of Toyota's Prius and GM's Volt, to electric cars from Nissan Motor Co., Tesla Motors Inc. and Fisker Automotive Inc. Gasoline prices, which set a record in the U.S. last year, and pressure from governments to trim carbon dioxide emissions, are driving demand.