Toyota Hybrid And Electric Cars: Past, Present, And Future

For 25 years now, Toyota has been rolling out hybrids and electric cars, and yes, in the beginning, it may not have been seen as the coolest thing to be seen driving around in, but boy, did it lay some groundwork for the hybrid car and electric car segments! Without the work that Toyota did with the 1997 Prius, things could have taken a lot longer to get where they are today.

From an awesome range of hybrids and an electric car (at the moment), to work that is being done today with hydrogen powerplants in what is promised to be some of the most cutting-edge cars, technology-wise, that will grace our streets in the coming years, Toyota is still in the game when it comes to hybrid, electric cars and has to be the forerunner for hydrogen-powered cars.

With some recent debate over whether Toyota has fallen behind in the electric car world, here’s a look at the illustrious and not-so-illustrious side of the Japanese company over the last 25 years, looking at its past, present, and future vehicles.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including EPA.gov, Edmunds, Toyota Press Room, Fuel Economy.gov, CNBC Car & Driver, Reuters, and Statista.

How Toyota Laid The Groundwork For Electric Cars

In the beginning, there was the 1997 Toyota Prius, the first mass-market hybrid car. Since then, there have been hundreds of different variations of hybrid vehicles that all have Toyota to thank for the bravery, for the time, into unknown roads. Where would the automotive world be without the original Prius?

The Original, The 1997 Toyota Prius

Launched in Japan in 1997 and subsequently debuting in America in 2000, the first-generation Toyota Hybrid encapsulated forward-thinking into the 21st Century and in cutting emissions on the road.

Featuring the all-new 1997 Toyota Hybrid System (now referred to as the Hybrid Synergy Drive or HSD) coupled with a 1.5-liter NZ Series engine, the pairing of an Atkinson Combustion Cycle with a gasoline engine and a high-torque electric motor meant that fuel efficiency went through the roof with reported miles per gallon of up to 50 MPG. The final ingredient that was added, and which still makes up the basis of all Toyota hybrid vehicles today, was the nickel-metal hydride battery pack behind the backseats.

Though some would argue that efficiency took precedent over style, that is exactly what Toyota was aiming for; a car that would mean you didn’t have to fill up as often.

Past Toyota Hybrid And Electric Cars Specifications

(Information gathered from Toyota and Fuel Economy.gov)

Electric Cars And Hybrids From Toyota’s Past That Shook The Automotive World

Admittedly, there aren’t many EVs to choose from made by Toyota in the past, but there are more hybrids that still achieve ridiculous miles per gallon. In the early part of the 2000s, cars were still being churned out by many manufacturers to go fast, look sporty, and turn heads, not necessarily to save you money on driving costs or reduce your carbon footprint. Toyota, along with making some ridiculously cool cars like the 2002 Toyota MR2, was seemingly preoccupied with creating cars that would go further for less.

Take the Avalon Hybrid, for example. Yes, it isn’t the prettiest car ever made, but it can still achieve zero-to-sixty in less than 10 seconds, give you a combined miles per gallon of 40 MPG and, still produce 200 horsepower from the motor and engine combination. Then there was the futuristic hydrogen battery-powered Mirai.

What was promised was, unfortunately, a bit of a flop because of the lack of fueling stations for hydrogen, but according to Toyota, you can drive 300 miles on the 11 pounds of pressurized hydrogen stored. So, even if it didn’t kick off then, Toyota is not giving up on hydrogen vehicles yet, which means the Mirai is here to stay for a long time.

• The ingenious hybrid motor in the 1997 Prius could fit in an engine bay alongside a gasoline powertrain.
• The ’97 Prius had high miles per gallon, even by today’s standards.
• The original design is still the basis for Toyota hybrids today.
• A clear indicator of what is to come over the next 25 years of hybrid and electric cars, not just Toyota’s.
• Surprisingly, for a manufacturer that led the way, very few EVs.
• Always looking to the future of motoring with new ideas.

Toyota Staying With The Times And Delivering More Top-Class Cars

Toyota has been criticized for not staying up to date with changing trends and falling behind in producing all-electric cars, but more on this later. What does matter is that Toyota is currently still producing top-end hybrid cars that are still capable of delivering high miles per gallon figures and driver satisfaction (matter of opinion obviously!)

The Toyota Electric And Hybrid Range Today

Today, Toyota makes and sells the highest number of hybrid cars compared to any other manufacturer on earth. In 2022, it sold more than two million hybrid cars across the globe, and over 10 million in its history. Currently, there are thirteen available hybrid models made by Toyota, with some familiar model names such as the Prius, RAV4, and Corolla making appearances. Surprisingly though, Toyota only has one fully electric car for sale and one fuel-cell-powered electric vehicle for sale. These are the 2023 bZ4X and the 2023 Mirai.

Boasting an all-new e-TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform which promises to take up less room but still delivers driving performance, the Toyota bZ4X will be able to deliver a range of up to 252 miles from a single charge and provide all the modern tech expected from an electric car. On the other side of the spectrum, the 2023 Toyota Mirai promises a range of up to 402 miles once it has been fully fueled.

Boasting a hydrogen fuel cell, electricity to power the car is made in the fuel stack when air enters from the front grille and hydrogen from the cell meet. Alongside some sci-fi-esque powertrain, the Mirai also has tonnes of safety features for driver confidence, an elegant interior full of interactive gadgets, and, according to Toyota, emits nothing but water. Something that Toyota wants us all to get behind!

Current Toyota Electric And Hybrid Models

(Information gathered from Toyota, Edmunds, EPA.gov, and Car and Driver)

The Reluctance To Go Berserk With EVs And Committing To Hydrogen

Toyota has only released one fully battery-powered car (as mentioned above) but is continuing its work with hydrogen, which it sees as an important fuel to ensure that its cars go carbon-neutral. At the same time, it has been experimenting with a new hydrogen-powered truck in the form of the Hilux FCEV and has raced a hydrogen-powered Corolla at the Taikyu Super Fuji 24-Hour Race this year.

So, great news for hydrogen-powered cells, but what about fully electric cars? Toyota has stated that it believes that having a more diverse powertrain compared to an all-electric one is more viable. So, even though there are plans for more electric cars in the future, there will also be a lot more hybrids and hydrogen-powered vehicles coming.

What Toyota’s Electric Future Looks Like

Contrary to what Toyota has said previously, it is not just hydrogen-powered cars that they are pushing to make and roll out across the world, but in a shock move to a couple and a sensible move to many, Toyota plans to unveil new EVs after 2026 with the hope of selling millions of them, much the same as it has with hybrids for the last 25 years.

Plus, it is now committing to more electrification of its cars in the U.S. with billions of dollars of investment in the U.S. battery-powered auto market. Is it a move because they truly believe in all-electric cars? Or, have they woken up to what is happening in the automotive world finally? We are excited to see what they will bring both in the form of fully electric cars, hybrids, and its fabled hydrogen-powered machines.

New Cars On The Horizon, Well In 2024 Anyway

For Toyota’s 2024 lineup, we are still only seeing hybrids, one fully electric but no new hydrogen-powered 2024 Mirai! Just the Mirais being used at the 2024 Paris Olympics. So what is Toyota bringing to the table in 2024 that is new and exciting?

Unfortunately, some of its models are not going to benefit from any change as, according to Toyota, has already been through a complete redesign for the 2023 model. We do see a couple of new trims available for the Corolla with the return of the Nightshade trim but, looking at the list below, we see that some EPA-estimated combined MPGs have actually gone down next year compared to the 2023 models.

Toyota is releasing a 2024 bZ4X, but information on that is being kept under wraps until January 2024 so we are unable to speculate what the specs and performance will be like but have ur fingers crossed for good things. We are hoping, probably like yourselves, that the cars that have been promised for 2026 and onward are really game-changing!

2024 Toyota Hybrid And Electric Models

(Information gathered from Toyota, EPA.gov, and Car & Driver)

Looking Forward To EVs, Hydrogen Beasts, And Longer Range Batteries In The Coming Years

In April 2023, Toyota welcomed its new CEO, Koji Sato, who has pledged to drastically revamp the company’s electric vehicle position in the world by 2026. Promising that the company will again be a market leader by utilizing the most innovative technology, the next generation of Toyota vehicles will be based on a new generation of battery and platform architecture.

He has also promised to continue Toyota’s work in utilizing hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen-powered vehicles. 30 years or so of work would be wasted if scrapped after all. In the pipeline, Toyota has got some awesome-looking concept cars, a new strategy for EV production, and the use of solid-state batteries.

Toyota is already developing the SUV-styled, fully electric FT-3e and sporty and sultry-looking FT-Se cars. And from the looks of the sneak peek previews on their press releases, the FT-Se is going to be a mean-looking, road-hugging, seat-pinning machine that will feature Toyota’s next generation of electric platform and provide the best driving experience and performance for their future customers (if people haven’t fallen totally out of love with Toyota by then due to long waits and lots of promises).

We are also looking forward to seeing the solid-state batteries that can deliver a whopping 745 miles from a single charge! Toyota has claimed that it has now made a breakthrough in this department. This could make Toyota a force to reckon with in the EV industry in the coming years. With so much to look forward to after a pedestrian couple of years of being out of the EV game, the next generation sounds promising from one of the world’s leading car manufacturers.