Background

• Toyota has been an early innovator of hybrid vehicles, introducing the mid-size Prius full hybrid electric car in 1997 and remains in production today. The Camry, also a mid-size car and a gasoline/electric hybrid, was not designed to replace the Prius but to complement it. The Camry has been produced since 1980 and is one of Toyota's best-selling sedans.
  
  

Power

• Good driving habits will get more than 33 mpg on the highway
  
  The Hybrid is powered by a 2.4-liter engine generating 147 horsepower and 138 foot-pounds of torque. The engine is the standard gasoline four-cylinder version featured in Camrys. The second half of the engine is a 105-kW electric motor equipped with a 244-volt battery pack, which generates up to 45 horsepower. Each of the 34 nickel-metal hydride modules in the battery pack contains six 1.2-volt cells. Combined, the gasoline and electric powerplant delivers 192 horsepower.
  
  

Fuel Control

• Interior of the 2008 Camry Hybrid
  
  The electric motor portion of the engine allows the gasoline engine to shut down at stops and even while moving under certain conditions. The electric motor also operates the accessories while the power-steering is powered from the Camry's batteries. The EPA initially rated the Camry Hybrid at 40 mph in city driving and 38 mph on the highway. But subsequent test drives and typical day-to-day driving put the numbers closer to 33 in the city and 34 with highway driving.
  
  

The Mechanicals

• The Hybrid is equipped with its own suspension system: a MacPherson strut front suspension equipped with gas-fill shock absorbers, with the same shocks in the rear for the dual-link independent strut suspension. Front and rear suspension systems have stabilizer bars. Stopping power is provided by power-assisted ventilated disc brakes.
  
  

Price Tag

• The four-cylinder hybrid engine
  
  The suggested manufacturer's price for the 2007 models started at $25,200, but has climbed to $26,150 for the 2010 models. Indeed, buyers can expect to pay more for a hybrid due to demand and the complexity of the engine and electric motor. Buyers can expect to pay as much as $1,500 more than the standard Camry XLE and lose nearly 5 cubic feet of trunk space due to installation of the battery pack.
  
  

International Plans

• In addition to Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky, plant, the Hybrid is assembled in Aichi, Japan. An assembly plant was approved in 2009 for Victoria, Australia. And a Chachoengsao plant in Thailand was scheduled to begin operation in 2009.
  
  

Production

• Initial production for the 2007 Camry Hybrid was 4,000 units at the Georgetown plant. For the 2006 calendar year, 31,341 units were manufactured. That number rose to 54,477 in total sales for 2007. The 2008 calendar year saw 46,272 Hybrid sold. Toyota, however, anticipates future annual sales of about 60,000 Hybrids.