Toyota's Next Hybrid Hit? | Green Energy News

March 26, 2006 – Vol.11 No.1

TOYOTA’S NEXT HYBRID HIT?

If the technology comes available Toyota’s new Camry Hybrid could be converted to a PHEV for perhaps a few thousand dollars more than its base sticker of $25,900. (Someday the choice might be a few thousand for soft leather seats, a moonroof and stuff, or a few thousand extra for a PHEV option.)

Rising gas prices at the pump should bring a new round of buyers to Toyota showrooms. Buyer beware, however: Dealers might take advantage of high pump prices and desperate drivers, and push sticker prices to well over $30,000 for the gas/electric Camry.

Toyota’s official, but tentative, fuel economy estimates for the hybrid are 40 miles per gallon in city driving, 38 highway and 39 combined. With the new, pending, revision of stated fuel economy ratings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), city mileage could eventually drop to between 28-32, highway 32-37 as posted on the window sticker. The EPA change is aimed to more closely reflect real world mileage. Consumers have been complaining that their fuel economy doesn’t match that on the sticker.

Even with the anticipated drop in fuel economy ratings, the hybrid would still be respectable and significantly better than the 22/31 city/highway for the V-6 Camry, and 24/33 for the four-cylinder car, both ratings also set to drop 10 percent or more in stated mileage.

Performance for the Camry hybrid should be somewhere between the two conventionally-powered cars so the hybrid could be a market rival for either. The hybrid has a total of 187 horsepower available, the V-6 268, the four 158.

The Hybrid version is $7000 more than a plain-Jane 4-cylinder car, yet nearly a wash when compared with a luxury-equipped 6-cylinder.

Visit Toyota at http://www.toyota.com/