Posted on 11/13/2025 8:30:15 PM PST by SeekAndFind
LIBERTY, N.C.—Toyota, a longtime hybrid car and truck promoter, is making one of the industry’s biggest bets on green transportation and opening a $14 billion battery plant here.
For years, Toyota held out against electric vehicles while rivals retrofitted factories and launched models in preparation for an all-electric future. Now that the EV market in the U.S. is vanishing as tax credits expire and sales disappoint, Toyota is doubling down on its hybrid strategy.
The Japanese automaker’s gamble: that American consumers—many of whom won’t touch an EV—will buy increasing numbers of hybrids, which often get up to 50% better mileage than a standard gas-powered car.
Toyota also said it would invest up to $10 billion in U.S. manufacturing over next five years in addition to the North Carolina site, where it made the largest investment in a U.S. battery-production site.
The batteries that Toyota has begun making at the sprawling plant, located between the cities of Greensboro and Raleigh, are going into hybrids assembled in Kentucky and Alabama. The complex is designed to make batteries for EVs and hybrids, including those that plug in and travel short distances on just electricity before switching to gas.
“For the longest time, folks were criticizing Toyota that they were so slow to the game in the battery-electric business,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive. But the strategy worked, he said. “They really did focus on the traditional hybrids, and they are dominating that whole product segment.”
Today roughly half of Toyota’s U.S. vehicle sales are hybrids or EVs, about double the industry’s overall share. Some of the company’s most popular models, such as the Camry sedan and Sienna minivan, are now sold exclusively as hybrids.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
One risk for Toyota: So many rivals are refocusing on hybrids that it could get harder for its fuel-efficient models to stand out in a crowded field.
Volkswagen is developing hybrids of its bestselling U.S. vehicles, the Tiguan and Atlas, after consumers and dealers demanded them, Kjell Gruner, the German company’s American chief, said at an industry conference last month. The automaker once considered hybrids an unnecessary detour on the way to full EVs.
Nope. Not for me. Two power sources twice as much to go wrong.
DW and I rented a 2025 Toyota Camry hybrid whilst vacationing in Maine recently. Drove it 650 miles in 8 days and got 57 mpg! Very comfortable car to drive; well-mannered, does everything nicely!
IMHO, Toyota has mastered the hybrid; The next car I buy will be a Toyota hybrid!
I don’t play Golf and I don’t need a Cart.
Should batteries achieve an infinite recharge cycle count lifetime, I’m all in.
Waiting, waiting....
My husband just bought a 2025 Camry hybrid. It looks promising for saving some money on gas. We shall see how it goes.
Killing off the AWD, Turbo Gas, m/t, Golf S/Ws was the death knell for VW in the US for me.
Hopefully I now have lifetime supply.
May I live long and may my Golfs live longer.
Good point. I'm 78. Have no need for EV or Hybrid. The last car I bought was a 2005 Nissan Altima. Had it for 15 years. The car didn't owe me a penny. I decided to go with leasing because the maintenance plan is included with the lease of the Altima.
We have a very comfortable 2018 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sedan that averages 42mpg. I am all for hybrids. But hybrids might not fit all circumstances—so it should always be consumer choice.
Toyota was smart to stay out of the ev game. Tesla makes a good go at it and they have carved out a niche in the market.
Folks don’t like having choice forced down their throats. Americans might not all be well educated on particulars of a topic, but they know enough that when choice is being forced, then something is funky indeed.
Formula 1 racecar engines are hybrids. Hardly a golf cart.
Please keep me posted. Thanks in advance.
I didn’t buy a hybrid F150 because the max gas tank was shorted on volume.
Locally, I drive a 20 yr. old VW TDI that gets 50 mpg. [I actually have two that I alternate year by year]
I’ve used multiple fresh F150s to haul butt over a number of 1200 mi. trips back and forth to an old real estate holding for pushing a decade.
How are “engines” hybrids?
Vehicles, sure.
Semantics. 2 different power sources. Not a golf cart.
Hybrid “VEHICLE”....
We really like our recently purchased Toyota Grand Highlander.
Biden’s draconian emissions regulations need to be reversed. I have a ’15 Camry and I will not buy any of the newer ones that were forced to be hybrid. Let the market decide.
Please keep me posted. Thanks in advance.
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OK, like after how long? You might want to follow up with me in case I forget.
This was their Plan B.
Plan A was to shovel cash into a bonfire.
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