Toyota: Hybrids Were The Plan All Along

If you have not been watching what Toyota Motor has been doing, then it is time to climb out from under the rock.

Toyota is not new to the hybrid game and they do not plan on stopping anytime soon. What is the strategy with all these hybrid vehicles? Here is my take on it.

Toyota Decides Hybrids Are A Safer Bet
After working for Toyota at the corporate level, I have learned a few things about Japanese culture. I have learned that the way the attack problems is not always head-on, but instead through planning and strategy.

Knowing this bit about them has helped me understand why they are pushing so hard with hybridizing their entire fleet. Recently, Venza and Sienna have been released both as hybrid models.

I found this both fascinating and strange when thinking about why I would ever want a hybrid pickup. I now realize that owning a hybrid vehicle is not as bad as some people make it out to be.

I have now owned 14 Prius and 3 Honda Hybrids, and honestly, the technology has won me over. I have far fewer problems with my hybrids, and I get excellent fuel economy too.

But what about Toyota? Why did they want to do all of their fleet with hybrid technology? The answer is more straightforward than we think. They are strategizing for their next move.

Toyota Strikes When The Cards Are In Their Favor
Toyota makes very calculated moves. They strike when they know it is time to make a move. The hybrid game was conceived in 1992, and it has been a long-term play.

Toyota always calculates before they make a move so it does not surprise me that making more hybrids is part of a bigger plan.

Toyota has been playing with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which has not quite panned out as of late, but I am not them.

Conclusion
Toyota makes calculated moves. They are gathering battery data to see what the world needs next. I fully believe that they will join the EV market, but only when they know, they have proven technology.

That is all for this one. Have a great day, and I will see you in the next article. Will there be another generation of Prius?

Check out this wild new battery tech that Tesla has and why it will forever change the auto industry.

Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporters.