How Toyota Hybrids Work

Toyota Hybrid Vehicles at Ken Shaw Toyota in Toronto, Ontario

More Hybrid Vehicles Than Any Other Manufacturer

Discover our Toyota hybrid line-up.

  • Toyota Corolla Hybrid
  • Toyota Camry Hybrid
  • Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  • Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
  • Toyota RAV4 Prime
  • Toyota Prius
  • Toyota Prius c, available as a used Toyota vehicle
  • Toyota Prius V, available as a used Toyota vehicle
  • Toyota Prius Prime
  • Toyota Sienna Hybrid
  • Toyota Venza Hybrid

The Power of a Toyota Hybrid: Only Toyota hybrid technology can offer cleaner emissions, increased fuel efficiency, and surprising power. Meet the Toyota hybrid powertrain: the most proven and advanced on the planet

The Hybrid Leader

Toyota has always been the world leader in hybrid power.

Toyota’s patented hybrid technology gives an unmatched combination of performance, efficiency and low emissions. We offer more hybrids than any other carmaker. We’ve won the most ecoENERGY Awards, recognizing the most fuel-efficient vehicles in Canada. And since we launched the world's first widely available production hybrid in 1997, we've sold more than 10,000,000 in 80 countries around the world.

How Toyota Hybrids Work

Toyota hybrids give you both power and powerfully efficient performance.

That's because Toyota's revolutionary Hybrid Synergy Drive can operate in electric-mode only, gas-mode only, or a seamless combination of the two. A power-split device and sophisticated energy management system constantly monitor driving conditions and seamlessly manage power flows. Regenerative braking helps the battery regain charge every time you decelerate, effectively recycling energy for later use. The result is fantastic fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance — a powertrain that’s up to 70% cleaner than conventional gas engines and diesels.

Starting Up

Press the Power Button, and go — quickly and silently. In most conditions, at vehicle start-up only the electric motor is engaged, saving fuel and delivering instant torque, while producing zero emissions.

Toyota Hybrid Vehicles at Ken Shaw Toyota in Toronto, Ontario

Accelerating and Cruising

As your need for speed increases when merging, passing or maintaining highway speeds, the gas engine and electric motor team up to provide the ideal mix of mechanical and electrical power for smooth, seamless acceleration — all while maximizing fuel efficiency and minimizing emissions. Any excess energy created is used to help recharge the battery.

Toyota Hybrid Vehicles at Ken Shaw Toyota in Toronto, Ontario

Decelerating and Braking

Take your foot off the accelerator or touch the brake pedal and the electric motor takes over — saving fuel and eliminating emissions. At the same time, the regenerative braking system kicks in, converting braking energy into electric energy to help recharge the battery.

Toyota Hybrids at Ken Shaw Toyota in Toronto

Resting and Reversing

Come to a complete halt, and the gas engine shuts down completely — once again conserving fuel and limiting emissions. However, if the battery is running low, the gas engine intuitively starts up to provide recharging power. In reverse, and under normal circumstances, only the electric motor needs to be operational. The ability to selectively use electric-only power is one of the many reasons that Toyota hybrids are so clean and efficient.

Toyota Hybrids at Ken Shaw Toyota in Toronto

Toyota Hybrid Facts

Higher Maintenance Myth

Like so many hybrid myths, the idea that maintaining a Toyota hybrid is more expensive than a conventional gas vehicle simply isn’t true. In a Toyota hybrid, the engines are off some of the time, reducing wear and tear; the brakes are regenerative, saving pad and rotor life; there is no transmission fluid under load; and there are no starters, alternators or belts to be replaced. All of which can reduce the need for maintenance.

Toyota Hybrids Versus Diesel Powertrains

The latest diesel vehicles emit nearly triple the amount of smog-forming emissions than Toyota hybrids. In contrast, Toyota hybrids are among the cleanest vehicles on the road, and are well ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing smog-forming emissions.

Low Running Costs

Like all Toyotas, our hybrids have great reliability records. Taxi fleets in Vancouver and Winnipeg have been using hybrids for over a decade, benefitting from superb fuel savings and low operating costs while logging millions of kms, some with over 1,000,000 kms on the odometer.

A Battery for Life

Did you know that over 99 percent of the Toyota hybrid vehicles we've sold since 2000 have never had their original battery replaced? That's because Toyota hybrid batteries are designed to last the life of the vehicle. They're also backed by an 10-year, 240,000 km warranty.