Hybrid Synergy Drive® is gaining its own identity as THE hybrid "machine within the machine." It makes Prius an economy leader with performance and Highlander Hybrid a performance leader with economy. And this is only the beginning!

Hybrid Synergy Drive leads the market
Even in this early stage of the hybrid market, customers recognize that Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive® is the most advanced hybrid system available. Toyota is ahead of the industry in hybrids by several years and a full generation of technology.

Congratulations go to Prius and Highlander Hybrid owners who paved the way for the rapid growth in the hybrid market! They proved the mass-market viability of hybrid transportation and helped Toyota embrace its vision of a revolution in transportation technology.

To date, more than 200,000 Toyota hybrid cars and SUVs have been sold in the United States, more than all other automakers combined. Worldwide sales of Toyota hybrids top 450,000 units.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive Difference
All Toyota vehicles with Hybrid Synergy Drive® are "full hybrids" that can run on electricity at low speed, gasoline at freeway cruising speed -- and use both during acceleration and in changing traffic conditions. Some of the other hybrids on the market are "power assist," meaning that the gasoline engine operates at all times, with the electric motor only adding extra power as needed. Even some trucks that do little more than shut off the engine at a traffic stop are marketed as "hybrids." Not all hybrid powertrains are the same, and Hybrid Synergy Drive® is the most advanced and best-selling hybrid system in the industry.

Toyota continues to invest heavily in improving Hybrid Synergy Drive®, developing it for new vehicle applications. In 2007, Toyota will offer a hybrid version of the Camry, the best-selling car in the United States. This is a major breakthrough in the mainstreaming of hybrids, and will offer buyers more "hybrid choices" than with any other car.

Hybrid Synergy Drive in Prius and Highlander Hybrid
The key elements of a hybrid drivetrain are the engine, electric motor and battery pack. Hybrid Synergy Drive® is flexible enough to allow engineers to vary the size and power of these components, fine-tuning performance and economy for each vehicle.

A comparison of Prius to a non-hybrid vehicle reveals how Prius' Hybrid Synergy Drive® delivers economy and performance. The 2005 Prius is a midsize car with a 4-cylinder 1.5-liter 76-hp gasoline engine mated to a 67-hp electric motor and 21kW hybrid battery. It has an EPA fuel economy rating of 60/51 city/highway mpg[1] and a 0-60 mph time of 10.3 seconds. By comparison, the 2005 midsize Camry's 4-cylinder automatic has a 2.4-liter 154-hp engine. Its 0-60 acceleration equals Prius', but with a lower fuel economy rating of 24/34 city/highway[1]. However, the starting price of Prius is $2000 higher than the Camry, so the Prius buyer pays more for the initial purchase.

The point of this comparison is not whether or not Prius with Hybrid Synergy Drive® is more efficient than Camry. Rather, it's that Hybrid Synergy Drive® gives Prius performance comparable to the market leader in its class, while also delivering significantly improved fuel economy.

With Highlander Hybrid, it's somewhat different. The 2WD 2005 Highlander Hybrid's 6-cylinder 3.3-liter engine, 167-hp motor, and 45kW hybrid battery pack enable a 0-60 performance of 7.5 seconds. This compares with 8.9 seconds for the standard 2005 Highlander with an engine of the same 3.3-liter displacement. Highlander Hybrid more than delivers all the performance benefits you can expect from the standard Highlander, and it has EPA-rated mileage of 33/28 city/highway -- higher than the Highlander's 19/25[1].

1. Actual mileage may vary.