Toyota is facing an attack on its image as one of the greenest car manufacturers from campaigners furious that it is opposing strict new fuel economy regulations under discussion in the US.
The Japanese company - whose hybrids, such as the Prius, have burnished its image for makingmore environment-friendly cars - has allied itself with the rest of the industry to lobby against the proposals.
More than 8150 messages of protest have been sent to Toyota as a result of a campaign by the Natural Resources Defence Council.
"As the world's largest auto maker and inventor of the best-selling hybrid car on the market, Toyota has a responsibility to lead, follow or get out of the way as Congress debates the first substantial fuel-economy boost in decades," said Deron Lovaas, the NRDC's vehicles campaign director.
The Senate energy bill would set tough requirements on vehicles that makers would need to reach by 2020. Toyota and the "Big Three" US car makers - General Motors, Ford and Chrysler - want a more modest level to be attained by 2022. which they say is less likely to harm the industry while still generating a 40 per cent improvement.
