When talking about hybrids, Toyota is never out of the conversation. Toyota leads hybrid category of the market with its top-selling hybrid cars and other hybrid vehicles. It was Toyota that first mass-produced a hybrid, the Toyota Prius, in 1997. In 2005, it launched its second hybrid, the Toyota Highlander, which is the world’s first seven-passenger hybrid sport utility vehicle. With the two Toyota models, Toyota laid the foundation for the buying public’s acceptance of hybrids vehicles. Hence, other automakers that son made and marketed their own hybrid vehicles did not find it hard to permeate the auto market with their new models. Ford made the first hybrid SUV, the Ford Escape Hybrid. Honda, on the other hand, made the first gas-electric hybrid car to be sold in the United States, the Honda Insight.
Despite the growing popularity of hybrid cars in the United States, European opted to develop current diesel technology to provide more fuel efficient and lower emission means of transportation, instead of producing expensive hybrids. But not until the December when manufacturers such as BMW AG and DaimlerChrysler AG teamed up with General Motors and Audi with Volkswagen and Porsche to produce more hybrids.
BMW and DaimlerChrysler are to make two-mode hybrid drive for rear- and front-wheel-drive GM, Chrysler and Mercedes cars, trucks and other vehicles while Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche jointly concentrate in producing hybrid Sport Utilities.
Change is what keeps the automotive industry alive for so many centuries now and thus, changing their stand about hybrid isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s good that BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche for they have finally accepted the benefits of hybrid technology. Yes it is true that hybrids are far more expensive than other cars but come to think of it, if all car manufacturers would move to further develop this technology, sooner of later price of hybrids will go down.
Anyway, we’ll see in the next years how these Euro auto makers will fair in the hybrid auto market. Who knows they’re Toyota’s next biggest rivals in the years to come.
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