Toyota's Tundra Mistake?
Why not a Tundra hybrid?When I walked into the Toyota section of the Los Angeles Auto Show, I was almost appalled. This is the king of hybrid cars, I wondered, as huge gas-guzzling trucks loomed everywhere. Consequently, I wasn't surprised to find the same scene at NAIAS in Detroit. At least in Detroit, however, Toyota was also displaying the FT-HS hybrid concept, which made me a bit more forgiving.
While I realize that Toyota needs to challenge America's Big 3 in this pickup truck segment, I don't understand why Toyota didn't include a hybrid version. Recently, Toyota announced that more Toyota models would have to be converted into hybrids to achieve Toyota's future hybrid sales goals. So, why not start with the Tundra hybrid? Wouldn't a pickup hybrid have been the perfect way to show-up Detroit?
I know in the past there have been some concerns regarding Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive and towing capabilities, for example. Is this still an issue, or did Toyota just blow an opportunity?
Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, toyota
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:03 AM
2 Comments:
This is complicated marketing problem with a lot of answers that lie between right and wrong. People pursuing hybrid vehicles because they want to reduce their carbon footprints, or because they want to save on fuel are unlikely to buy a hybrid truck that uses as much gas as a standard gasoline-powered compact car. At the same time, much of the full-size truck market would fault the gasoline and diesel models solely on the existence of a hybrid option. Advertising sells image and identity. I think these remain mutually exclusive (and antagonistic) markets.
I completely hear what you are saying, and I think you are correct for the majority of the truck segment. Nonetheless, I have received numerous e-mails from pick-up fans asking when a full hybrid is going to be available. While the majority of those seeking hybrids do seek them for environmental reasons, a significant percent seek to purchase them to reduce foreign oil dependency. Many pickup fans understand the dangers of foreign oil dependency and for them a hybrid truck makes great sense.
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