Toyota pushes for hybrid electrification in PH with Prius

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is pushing for wider adoption of its Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) technology in the country. The Japanese marque aims to lead the hybrid electrification by raising awareness regarding the auto industry’s shift from internal combustion engines to electric motors. This initiative is heavily supported by its Prius HEV, which it believes can be a perfect fleet car for various local sectors and industries.

Toyota has been developing its hybrid technology for a decade now since the late 1990s. It was not a smooth process given the limited resources and technology in the past. However, it claims to be the first car company to pass technical and engineering issues that hindered manufacturers to mass-produce hybrid or electric powertrains around that time.

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It was not long before Toyota launched the Prius in 1997 both in Japan and the United States. This historical milestone paved the way to other brands that were developing their own electric cars back then. The Prius was the first-ever hybrid EV to be publicly available to consumers. A decade followed and the second-generation Prius reached the Philippine shores in June 2009 with the Prius C hatchback following in 2012.

“As the younger generation becomes more environment-conscious, we feel like it is the perfect time to educate them about eco-friendly technologies readily available to us.”

Elijah Marcial
TMP vice president

The Prius houses a gasoline engine and an electric motor run by a self-charging battery. This setup gives the car better fuel economy and riding comfort. That said, Toyota aims to help the public understand the positive long term benefits of using its hybrid technology. To do this, TMP is conducting a Toyota HEV Conference on May 29, 2019. With a theme of “Toward Sustainable Mobility,” the conference will be joined by Toyota technical experts, key government officials, members of the press, the academe, and several non-government organizations (NGO).

The TMP sees hybrid vehicles as the ideal transition towards full electrification in the Philippines. In fact, TMP’s first vice president Christina Arevalo believes that it is the initial step for a “more sustainable” and greener future. Like her, it is also our part, as Filipinos, to see HEVs as one of the smartest ways to open the local auto industry’s gates to full EVs – leading the country to a less harmful environment.