Toyota Hybrid Sales Accelerate.

[xcel]

"Personally I think a Sienna hybrid would be a home run."

Edmunds - May 18, 2007

An I4 based Toyota Sienna w/ HSD exactly like the TCH should easily pull 33 city/29 highway from today’s EPA estimates …

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Sales of Toyota Prius and Camry hybrids reached record levels in March as the technology has broken out of the "early adopter" niche and gone mainstream, according to Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. General Manager Bob Carter.

"Right now the technology is acceptable beyond the early adopters," he said. Because of that trend, the company is focusing its attention on providing hybrid versions of its bread-and-butter models sooner rather than later.

The company has made a general statement that it hopes to eventually offer hybrid versions of every model it sells. But in the near-term, it makes sense to focus on high-volume market segments, said Carter. "We are covering the main segments first, the midsize sedan and midsize SUV segments," Carter said. Toyota sells more Sienna minivans than Highlander SUVs, so that looks like another strong candidate segment, especially because the two vehicles share much of their mechanical design … [Read More]

[Dan]

Yes, we've been waiting for a hybrid minivan for some time now. I'm so perplexed at Toyota's refusal to do so, I'm convinced there must be some aspect to it that I'm missing.

I remember that the original statement from Toyota was that there whole line would go hybrid by 2010. If they up that a year, that means the Sienna in 2009.

Assuming they are talking market availability and not model year, that would mean late 2009 would be the ETA of the MY2010 Sienna HSD.

Hopefully "earlier" means MY2009

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[AshenGrey]

With the Toyota hybrids going mainstream, it really makes me wonder why GM insists on dragging its heels on 2-mode. After all, if *midsize* SUVs are still viable (as opposed to bloated hulks with single-digit FE), you'd think that 2-mode would be a slam-dunk -- especially considering how 2-mode was designed for larger vehicles. But all we get out of GM is delay after delay while Toyota keeps inovating.

[locutus]

This is great news. A much higher % of people get a minivan because they actually need it (vs an SUV). If there will be a minivan out there that can pull 30MPG, all the better!

[Himmitch]

I have 5 kids so I have to drive a mini van. They are all young now so all my wife does is short trips with it. With the astro we only average 14.5 mpg! That is why we drive the Xb every time that we are not taking all of the kids. Because we use the Astro so little we only have to fill up once a month, but when the kids get older and start with sports and hobbies than mini van use will go through the roof.

When Toyota releases the hybrid minivan I will be first in line for it.