And of course, Toyota has come out with its Plug-in hybrid Prius, selling 12, 750 units in the last last year alone.
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Yet the company backed away from plans to introduce these batteries in the high-volume, conventional hybrid Prius in 2009--a bit of news that had other carmakers wondering what Toyota knew that they didn't.
Toyota is banking on the success of new and restyled vehicles, including the Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Prius V, which will be joined this year by a plug-in hybrid Prius, set to be shown on Tuesday in Detroit.
Toyota 's ( TM - news - people ) FT-CH concept, smaller than the popular Toyota Prius hybrid, and signaling the Japanese automaker's intention to roll out a full family of Prius hybrid vehicles.
But any consumer comparing the C-Max Hybrid and Prius v also quickly will see that Ford claims 47 mpg overall for C-Max Hybrid while Toyota claims only 40 mpg for Prius v.
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Automaker Toyota, maker of the best-selling hybrid Toyota Prius, earned the number one spot.
It will be interesting to see how The Green Book does with such future cars as the plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius and the Fisker Karma.
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Smart was a green-minded statement car that predated the hybrid Toyota Prius and the electric Chevrolet Volt when it officially launched in 1998 in Europe.
Toyota has been especially well-known among green car enthusiasts for its Prius hybrid.
It's clear the Detroit automaker is going after the hybrid juggernaut that is the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid with this one.
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You don't need a Toyota Prius hybrid to get good gas mileage.
Twice Toyota changed the plan for which vehicles would be assembled there, shifting from the Highlander SUV to the Prius hybrid and ultimately to the Corolla compact.
Ford says fuel economy is now the top purchase consideration for car buyers and that customers are excited about having an alternative to the top-selling Toyota Prius hybrid.
The last car in the timeline is now a 2002 Toyota Prius hybrid, standing in for the latest efforts by the auto industry to answer the call to burn less oil.
These include the family friendly Toyota Highlander crossover SUV, the budget-minded Yaris subcompact and the fuel-sipping Prius hybrid hatchback, along with the upscale Lexus ES 350 sedan and RX 350 crossover.
The Japanese maker of the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury cars rose once again to the world's top automaker in global vehicle sales last calendar year, overtaking U.S. rival General Motors Co.
The Japanese maker of the Prius hybrid and Camry sedan reclaimed its crown as world's top automaker last year, after losing it to GM a year earlier, when it was battered by the tsunami and quake disasters in northeastern Japan.
Toyota's decision in December to postpone indefinitely production of its Prius hybrid at a new factory in Mississippi ought to be a reality check for politicians who want to tell carmakers what they should build, but will probably not be.
In a separate announcement, Toyota, which was a pioneer of petrol-electric hybrid vehicles with its Prius model in 1997, said sales of these and its other hybrid models had now passed five million.
Mr. Uchiyamada is seen as the driving force behind Toyota's successful hybrid vehicle, the Prius.
The new price cut, however, will allow it to compete with the best selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius.
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The catbird seat in the state high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, because standard hybrid cars like the Prius are now banned from them.
Toyota is making bold moves in this direction by rolling out new hybrid models under its Prius brand: a station wagon called the Prius C and a tiny, ultra high-mileage Prius V, joining the original four-door hatchback later this year.
Noting that the Prius has become a universal icon for hybrid technology, Toyota said it will begin marketing Prius as a brand.
High ownership costs are a main reason why only one hybrid--the Toyota Prius--made our list.
On Tuesday February 9th Toyota said that it would recall over 400, 000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to address problems with their brakes.
For example, the venerable Toyota Prius line of hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars continues to handily beat all comparable comers across the U.S., with combined sales among its four model variations registering 236, 659 units last year, representing a 73.4 percent increase.
Japan's marquee automakers have jumped into hybrids, electrics and hydrogen cars, following Toyota 's success with the Prius and its other hybrid cars.
Hybrid vehicles like Toyota's Prius, which are propelled by both gasoline and electric motors, now use nickel metal hydride batteries to store electricity.
Toyota's woes were compounded on February 9th when it said it would also recall 440, 000 hybrid vehicles, including the celebrated Prius, to fix a problem with their brakes.
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