Toyota to push hybrids in U.S.

Toyota will use its hybrids to turn around low sales in the U.S. and will push its gasoline-electric technology into new markets to win new buyers. The company has been struggling through 2011 because of disruption of supplies caused by the March 11 earthquake and the flooding in Thailand. New products to be launched in 2012 and beyond have given the company cause for expecting a complete turnaround. Toyota wants to boost its hybrid sale in the U.S. to 400,000 by 2015, up from 196,000 hybrids in 2010, by introducing several models under the Prius brand and through the inclusion of hybrid technology in mainstream models. One of the reasons for the move to boost hybrid vehicles is to give the automaker enough volume in North America so that it can start building hybrids in the U.S. and source the components locally. Almost all of Toyota’s hybrids are built in Japan using locally produced components. Only the Camry Hybrid is built in the U.S., using components from Japan. (December 6, 2011)