Steve McGarrett, your new hybrid awaits. Well not exactly, but the Honolulu police department has started a 6-month pilot program testing a half dozen Toyota Camry hybrids. The department is evaluating the gas-electric sedans to determine their suitability as patrol cars on the island of Oahu. According to Major Frank Fujii of the Honolulu police, the traditional Ford Crown Victorias get about 10-15 mph while the Camrys are expected to get about 33 mpg. Because the smaller Toyotas don't have the usual protective cages around the back seat, they will be used primarily for patrol and traffic enforcement. At a price of $28,000, the Camry is about $1,500 more than a Crown Vic but that should be made up in fuel savings. At the end of the 6-month pilot program, the department will determine whether to proceed with more hybrids or abandon the project.

[Source: KHON]

Toyota wants to double worldwide sales of its hybrids to over 1 million units a year within the next decade and is adding production capacity to hep it get there. In Japan today, Toyota announced plans to add production of Camry hybrids at two more plants in Australia and Thailand. The Thai plant will start first with about 9,000 hybrids per year starting in 2009. At a press conference attended by both Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe, plans were announced to build hybrids at the company's Altona plant near Melbourne. The plant will start turning out 10,000 hybrids a year in early 2010. The state of Victoria, where the plant is located, reportedly provided $35 million (AUS) in tax incentives to get Toyota add hybrid production. A number of Australian governments have previously pledged to purchase domestically build hybrid vehicles for their fleets as soon as someone builds them. The Camry announcement is the first; General Motors' Holden division will likely join in as well at some point.

[Source: Toyota]

It's looking as if Aussie readers hoping to drive greener might soon be able to do so in a locally-produced machine. The first word of Toyota's desire to build the Camry Hybrid in the land Down Under came in October at the Tokyo Motor Show. Without government handouts assistance, however, it wasn't going to happen. Fast forward to the present: all signs point to a deal getting inked by the end of July, with Australian government reps saying that talks with the automaker are progressing "fruitfully." Once the agreement is formalized, look for the Camry Hybrid to go into production at the Altona plant where the Australian-market Camry and Aurion sedans are currently built.

[Source: The Age]

Toyota's Camry Hybrid is selling like crazy these days. Last year, Toyota managed to sell 54,477 Camry Hybrids, an impressive figure no doubt, and sales are showing no signs of slowing down. For example, in the month of March, Toyota set a new record for the hybrid version of the Camry by selling 6,930. For the year, it is on track to sell over 60,000 of its midsize hybrid sedan, a 10 percent increase over the previous year. In fact, the Camry Hybrid, which is EPA rated at 33 miles per gallon city and 34 miles per gallon highway, is easily outselling the 268 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 powered model, which is rated at 19 city and 28 highway. Historically, American buyers have shown a propensity to choose the largest engine available.

When sales of the Prius and the Camry Hybrid are combined, Toyota easily remains the world's leader in hybrid vehicle sales and appears a lock to remain that way, at least for the next few years.

[Source: Auto Observer]

When you see a Toyota Prius, you instantly recognize the fact that the car is a hybrid right? Sure, because they all are. What about the Camry Hybrid? Unless you know just where to look for the unique badging, you wouldn't know a hybrid model from the standard model. Toyota would like to change that by making all of their hybrids share a unique design theme.

According to Toyota's chief designer, Wahei Hirai, "People like to buy it because they like to advertise 'I am interested in the environment.' So currently the Camry doesn't appeal very much. They prefer Prius because, while they are driving in town, people can understand that the driver has more social awareness."

The design theme that Toyota plans to use is known internally as "free-form geometrics", which "gives some feeling of ceramics," according to Hirai. If that makes as little sense to you as it does me, start thinking of concepts like the iQ subcompact and the FT-HS sports car and you'll have an idea of what is on their styling minds.

[Source: Automotive News (sub. required)]

Toyota is widely known as the leader in hybrid sales. The Prius is obviously the flag-bearer of the line-up, but don't forget about the Camry Hybrid. That car won the award as "Green Car of the Year" last year from the L.A. Auto Show, and also won the award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, and it has been selling very well in Canada as well.

In fact, according to Tony Wearing, Managing Director of Toyota Canada Inc., "We are thrilled that Canadians have embraced the Camry Hybrid. The Camry Hybrid has accounted for almost 20 percent of all Canadian Camry line sales in the first seven months of this year." No actual sales figures were presented, but 20 percent of a car that sells as well as the Camry must be pretty good. Considering the harsh weather that drivers in Canada sometimes face, the fact that the hybrid does well there bodes well for the durability of the hybrid drivetrain. Good for our friends from Canada, eh?

Related:

• Camry Hybrid named 2007 Canadian Car of the Year
• Toyota Camry Hybrid is Green Car of the Year
• Hybrid Lexus RX400 outsells standard version 4-to-1

[Source: Canadian Driver]