Toyota has been especially well-known among green car enthusiasts for its Prius hybrid.
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.
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.
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.
But, in terms of what a car is primarily for getting one from point A to point B quicker than it would take one to walk, run, bus or train there the Prius hybrid does a perfectly fine job, with less pain at the pump, more reliability, and more efficient use of space.
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.
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.
FORBES: Consumer Reports Zings Ford Over Hybrid Mileage Ratings
It's clear the Detroit automaker is going after the hybrid juggernaut that is the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid with this one.
ENGADGET: Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid test drive (video)
And of course, Toyota has come out with its Plug-in hybrid Prius, selling 12, 750 units in the last last year alone.
FORBES: Electric Cars and the Power Grid: How Are They Coming Together?
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.
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.
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.
Automaker Toyota, maker of the best-selling hybrid Toyota Prius, earned the number one spot.
Japan's marquee automakers have jumped into hybrids, electrics and hydrogen cars, following Toyota 's success with the Prius and its other hybrid cars.
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.
FORBES: Green car book disses the Chevy Volt, GM isn't too happy
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.
Unlike cars like the Ford Focus Electric and the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, the Model S follows a similar strategy to BMW's ActiveE when it comes to regenerative braking.
ENGADGET: Tesla Model S first drive: the sports sedan goes electric (update: video)
Japan's marquee automakers have jumped into hybrids, electrics and hydrogen cars, following Toyota 's (nyse: TM - news - people ) success with the Prius and its other hybrid cars.
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.
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the Vauxhall Ampera (which will also be sold - with some modifications - as the Chevrolet Volt) are due to see their first UK deliveries in early 2012.
The new C-MAX Energi also has 60 more horsepower than the Prius plug-in hybrid considering full battery power, along with class-exclusive technologies such as hands-free liftgate and active park assist for easier parallel parking.
ENGADGET: Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall
Those looking to minimize their carbon footprints are able to choose among a growing number of part- and full-time electric vehicles like the new Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid and the Ford Focus Electric and Mitsubishi i.
Noting that the Prius has become a universal icon for hybrid technology, Toyota said it will begin marketing Prius as a brand.
Even worse, if you remove the Toyota Prius, the most popular hybrid from the mix, commitment to hybrids drops to 25 percent.
FORBES: More People Are Buying Hybrid Cars. So Why Won't They Stick With Them?
应用推荐