That’s not to say Toyota has surrendered its advantage. Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader, says Toyota’s conservative strategy of favoring hybrids over EVs “may prove to be the right one, at least in the U.S.”
True, she says, EVs are all the rage now, at least in terms of publicity, and hybrids have fallen out of fashion.
But if gasoline prices rise, hybrids may benefit, and “Toyota has built a solid reputation on hybrids. Plus, by not investing money in EVs that may or may not pay a dividend, Toyota can fund its aggressive future product plan, made up of non-EV and hybrid models.”
As the focus of green car attention has shifted, so too has Toyota’s messaging. The company now touts its hybrids’ performance characteristics as well as fuel economy. Last year, for example, Lexus ran a marketing campaign called “Fast as h” that highlighted the performance advantages of hybrids.
Source news reuters.com, click here to read the full news.
