New Toyota Camry to Be Sold Only as Hybrid

livemint.com:

Toyota Motor is taking America’s bestselling sedan and making it exclusively a hybrid. When the next-generation Camry hits dealership lots in the spring, the popular midsize-car model will only be available with this technology, marking a major shift by Toyota in moving beyond the traditional gas-engine vehicle. Toyota, which unveiled the new, redesigned Camry on Tuesday night in Malibu, Calif., said the hybrid-only model is part of a broader strategy to give buyers more choices in green vehicles.

It also illustrates how the Japanese automaker is doubling down on hybrids as sales growth for fully electric vehicles slows and other car companies have begun to retrench on some of their EV plans. In addition to the new Camry, Toyota also showed off a new hybrid SUV, called the Crown Signia, which goes on sale next year. “Hybrids are more sought after and in shorter supply," said David Christ, Toyota’s North America head of sales.

In recent years, hybrid sales have climbed in the U.S., benefiting Toyota, which pioneered the gas-saving option with the release of the Prius in the late 1990s. Toyota executives say the recent wave of interest has prodded the company to further invest in hybrids, which they view as critical in appealing to buyers who might want an electric car but don’t regularly have a place to plug in. Earlier this month, the car company reported record-breaking profit, thanks in part to sales of hybrid vehicles, which it sells more of than any other automaker.

The Toyota Camry, which made its U.S. debut in 1983, has won over Americans with its family-friendly size and fuel efficiency, and has for decades been among the nation’s top-selling car models. More recently, sales of sedans, including the Camry, have