Photo by OrangeLimey. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Starting in a few weeks (mid- to late-May) a Prius will cost you $400 more than it used to. Toyota announced across-the-board price increases to 2008 and 2009 Toyota and Lexus models today (Scion were "adjusted" back in April), and all Toyota models included in the list are up between $100 (the Tundra) and $500 (the Highlander hybrid). The price of the 2009 Camry hybrid has been upped $300 to $25,650. As for the smiling icon, the 2008 Prius' MSRP's new base price is $21,500 or 1.8 percent higher than before. On the Lexus side, the RX 400h is now $300 more and will cost you $41,580. As our friends at Autoblog point out probably won't slow down sales: in April 2008, 53.8 percent more Priuses were sold on average per day than in April 2007. Full list of price increases after the jump.

Diesel hybrids are popping up everywhere in Geneva this week from Volkswagen to Mercedes-Benz to BMW. One notable exception is Toyota. The hybrid pioneer has never shown a diesel hybrid and according to Katsuaki Watanabe, the company's president they have no plans to offer one. The problem lies in the fact that diesel engines are inherently more expensive than gasoline units and adding in the cost of a hybrid system would make them uncompetitive in terms of cost. Interestingly, most of the diesel hybrids being displayed in Switzerland right now are of the mild hybrid variety rather than the strong hybrid types that Toyota uses.

Mild hybrids have smaller less powerful motors that aren't integrated into the transmission the way a full hybrid typically is. They can be paired up more easily with different engines and transmissions. While they don't offer the potential for as much electric only running, they do provide electric assist and start stop functionality and at a lower cost. Perhaps if Toyota had a less costly (and somewhat less functional) mild hybrid system in their portfolio, they would be considering diesel hybrids. However, just because we haven't seen something like that yet it doesn't mean we won't. Toyota spends a lot on R&D, much of which is never seen in public until they are good and ready. Toyota certainly isn't shying away from hybrid technology in general.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

The Asia-only Toyota Crown model (pictured) is the latest Toyota to get a hybrid powertrain option but it certainly won't be the last. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe told Automotive News (subs req'd) in Geneva today that sometime in the 2020s, every Toyota will be available with a hybrid engine. If you think you might have read this before somewhere, you're right. Back in January, Watanabe said the same thing and even that wasn't the first time. Toyota's "all-hybrid" message is repeated at pretty much every major auto show. We're not against a line-up like this, we just hope these hybrid powertrains - when they arrive - will actually save fuel, instead of adding questionable value to vehicles like the Lexus LS 600h.

[Source: Luca Ciferri / Automotive News Europe]

We've seen the first batch of pictures with the preview, the video and now we can go on A-Bat overload. Toyota has just released a slew of pictures of the A-Bat hybrid truck concept that will be on the stand at the Detroit Auto Show in the very near future. The bed of the unique-looking A-Bat can be extended from four to eight feet, but the part we like is the Hybrid Synergy Drive with a four-cylinder gas engine. We'll know more about the powertrain when we get to Detroit. For now, these 59 images should keep you busy. My faves are the bikes in the bed and the non-circular steering wheel. Take a look.


[Source: Toyota via Autoblog]

While European automakers focus on diesels and American companies dip their toes into the hydrogen, biofuel and electric drive waters, Japan's two largest automakers seem to be gearing up for a big fight over who can sell the most hybrids. In two stories for Automotive News (subs req'd), writer Hans Greimel lays out the ways that Toyota and Honda want to win this war. The headlines tell the short version story: Toyota eyes 1 million in annual hybrid sales and Honda: Hybrid war has just begun. In effect, Toyota want to keep the Prius momentum going, Honda wants to copy and exceed.

Greimel explains that by the early 2010s, Toyota hopes to be selling us a million hybrids, with some of those being plug-in hybrids, a year. Something about the article (specifically this line: "Toyota will soon be testing plug-in hybrids in Japan, Europe and the United States") makes me wonder about whether this story is something of a holiday rehash - we know that Toyota has been testing the PHEV Prius in those three locations for a while now.

Honda, on the other hand, isn't convinced plug-ins are the way to go, but does want to get serious about "standard" hybrids. Honda CEO Takeo Fukui told Gerimel that, "The real competition [for hybrids] has just begun. Until now, it has been an image-based competition, not a business-based competition." Honda's first entrants will be a new dedicated hybrid (Fukui admits that the Civic hybird was a bust) and the hybrid CR-Z, both coming in 2009 or later. Game on!

[Source: Automotive News]

Toyota has just released their hybrid vehicle sales results for the year through October and the results are mixed. The Prius continue on a strong growth path with global sales up twenty-six percent although Japanese sales were stagnant. The Camry Hybrid is up forty-seven percent and the new Lexus LS600h is off to a strong start. Lexus dealers have already moved 6,093 examples of the $104,000 hybrid luxury sedan. The other two Lexus hybrids, the RX400h and the GS450h, are both down significantly, as is the Highlander hybrid. Highlander sales are probably due to lack of availability as production of the new 2008 model only recently started. Overall Toyota hybrid sales are up fourteen percent through October. Stay tuned here at AutoblogGreen in the next few weeks when we'll have a full review of the new 2008 Highlander hybrid in the ABG Garage.

[Source: Toyota]

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)]