Toyota announces hybrid Camry production
June 10, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Following our previous report early this morning, Toyota has officially announced that it will begin manufacturing a hybrid Camry sedan at its Altona (Melbourne) plant starting in early 2010.
The decision had already been made, but the announcement was made official by Toyota Motor Corporation President Mr Katsuaki Watanabe who told the news to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at a meeting in Nagoya, Japan earlier today.
“We decided to build the Camry Hybrid in Australia because Australians are keenly aware of environmental issues including global warming, and we are confident that the Camry Hybrid will be well received. Toyota intends to make further efforts toward popularizing hybrid vehicles”, said TMC President Katsuaki Watanabe
The new hybrid variant will be the third model built at the Altona plant and Toyota Australia expects to produce 10,000 hybrid Camry vehicles each year for the domestic market. The hybrid Camry is not unique to Australia, with the vehicle already in production in Japan and the United States.
It would be interesting to see if Holden can beat Toyota to the market with the first locally produced full-hybrid vehicle. Toyota seems to think that it has secured production of Australia’s first local hybrid.
“We acknowledge that the Federal and Victorian governments have a strong desire to see new, environmentally friendly technologies introduced to Australia. Both governments continue to provide strong support to the Australian automotive industry and can share in this historic announcement which is positive for Toyota, local car manufacturing and the Australian community,” Toyota Australia President and CEO Mr Max Yasuda.
Toyota has also released ten hybrid facts:
- Hybrid Camry and Prius have specially designed four-cylinder petrol engines working in tandem with an electric motor. The combination boosts performance, reduces fuel consumption and produces fewer emissions.
- The petrol engine automatically switches off when the car is stationary (such as at traffic lights) or when coasting or travelling downhill.
- Hybrid Camry and Prius recharge themselves while driving. You never have to plug them into a power point.
- Energy that would normally be lost when braking or coasting is converted to electricity and stored in a sealed battery, for use when required.
- Hybrid Camry and Prius can be driven for short distances on electric power only. This is particularly useful in stop-start traffic, for eliminating emissions in your garage and for quiet entry or exit through your neighbourhood.
- In all other respects, hybrid Camry and Prius are fully specified normal cars capable of seating five adults comfortably. They drive like regular automatic cars, use regular unleaded fuel and have large luggage capacities.
- Toyota has adopted numerous safeguards , including automatic disablement mechanisms to ensure safety in the event of an accident. Prius hybrids have been on Australian roads for seven years and Toyota is not aware of any personal injury related to hybrid or electrical systems.
- The battery is designed to last the life of the vehicle. It is kept at an optimum charge level, which gives it an extended life.
- Toyota is the world leader in hybrid vehicles with sales of more than 1.5 million. The one-millionth Prius was sold in April 2008. Total Australian sales of Prius are expected to reach 10,000 later this month (June 2008).
- Toyota is committed to developing hybrid systems as a core technology. Globally, the goal is to reach one million hybrid sales per year during the 2010s. Toyota ’s worldwide goal is to approach zero impact on the environment in all our activities, including vehicles and production. While we can never achieve zero impact, we always strive to do better – and hybrid technology is an important part of that effort.
Toyota’s current goal is sell one million or more hybrid vehicles a year by early 2010s, which means more local production of hybrid cars is required.
Will Toyota beat Holden to the market with Australia’s first hybrid car? GM Holden recently announced hybrid and diesel Commodores are only two years away.
Tags: Toyota Camry Hyrbrid
Awesome.
The 500 million dollar benefit was a really good idea.
I would still like to see Australian exclusive cars like the Commodore implement this technology, and a new global standard, especially as this car is already built overseas. But goodwork to toyota for switching more capacity to the Australian plants.
Great news for the Australian Industry. But I’m curious, is the hybrid drivetrain going to be manufactured here or will the car just be assembled in Australia? Not that it makes much difference, but I’ve been unable to find this info from any media outlets. Does anybody know?
wow what great news , when it comes time for me to get a car ill sure be looking at the camry im a environmentally mind person and i feel we should all do our part.
good work kevin and caradvice for the heads up.
Who cares??? Like the Prius, it’s going to be overprices and would cost around $50000 each I bet.50G for a camry??…no thanks.
Shame they aren’t using the Aurion or Kluger to equipe with a hybrid engine.
Also wouldn’t the Camry be at the end of its model life by 2010?
Now we need the government to subsidize the cost of low emissions and consumption vehicles drastically so that it is advantageous to buy one.
Tom A Hybrid Commodore is expected to be released by 2010 as is a Diesel Commodore with a 4 Cyl Commodore sometime after that – mind you by that stage Holden wuold probably have made the commodore more compact; about the same size as the TT-36 Concept Car
Also in the pipeline at Holden is a new generation Direct injection V6 a Twin Turbo V6 and a V8 with Displacement on Demand which could be featured in the upcoming VF Commodore
maximark2601,
It was in the paper today that the Hybrid Camry may be around the $33-35K mark. Not bad considering the Honda Civic Hybrid is $33k.
The Hybrid Camry has been on sale in the US for several years and has been gradually increasing in popularity.
According to monthly sales statistics in the US, Toyota is currently selling between 3500 – 4000 Hybrid Camry’s per month.
Although the Hybrid version will have to prove it’s worth here in Australia, it will however come to our market as a proven platfrom in everday use as it has for been for several years in America.
Actually, only 3 weeks ago the Prius was ranked No.1 in the 2008 UK JD Powers Quality / Customer Satisfaction Survey fending off over 100 other models.
It was reported that customers have been particularly pleased with the quality and reliability of the Prius.
The third Generation Prius will be launched in Jan / Feb 2009 and not only will it be more powerful (1.8 from the Corolla instead of the current 1.5) it will also be more efficent.
Good gains to development !!
cheers
All you need is someone to rattle the cage and everyone will start to take notice. Whether this is the technology for the Australian Car manufacturers is yet to be decided. But I’m sure Holden and Ford will not want to be left behind. When you consider carbon trading and it’s effect on the price of oil this hybrid path (in the intrum) is a good move. We cannot afford to be sitting on our hands because if we don’t take charge of the oil price/carbon trading issue now I can see a dramatic down turn in cars manufactured in Australia and the subsequent aligned industries.
Myke Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Shame they aren’t using the Aurion or Kluger to equipe with a hybrid engine.
Also wouldn’t the Camry be at the end of its model life by 2010?
Myke, you seem to be rather confused: An Aurion IS a Camry with a V6 – nothing else. It has the same model life.
Good news . It would want to be more efficient and cheaper to manufcature than the current system, however.
Whilst I commend Toyota on their plans for a Locally built hybrid.. I can’t help but notice the quote from Toyotas CEO
“Both governments continue to provide strong support to the Australian automotive industry”
He obviously is unaware of The Milky Bar Kids plans to reduce Tariffs even further.
The Federal Government supports local industry? Yeah Right
Bret I know the Aurion is Camry with a V6, I’m saying I’d rather a V6 Hybrid, perhaps the engine from the Lexus GS450h?
Battery supply is the current problem for Toyota hybrids – demand in the US is outstripping supply.
Toyota is also reluctantly looking at \’Plug-in\’ as option to extend range for customers that want to use electric power only. Demand for Plug-in is being met by after market tech companies only at this stage in USA/Canada
The Kluger has a hybrid version in America, but yeah, no V6 Camry hybrid. I’ve heard in the news that the one to be made here will be a hybrid version of the next generation Camry. By 2010 I believe a replacement will come out.
Electric cars are the most overstated environmental measure of the day.
The production of batteries in Ontario has resulted in the area around the production-plant to become dead due nickel – a component of the electric car battery.
Disposal of the batteries is also a problem.
If you really want to save the planet, don’t buy a car in the first place. Ride a bike.
Toyota has marketed this vehicle to seduce the minds of the naive, but the fact remains that we are a long way off true green motoring.
The Prius is a real polluter, and the Camry will be too.
Oooch!! that gonna hurt Holden and Ford sales. Aaaaah!
The race is on, watch this space. Could Holden rear end Toyota in the pits?
Totally agree Mathew. Prius jumping on the Green bandwagon is a real farce. Its only a brief expensive step in the right direction to being greener. Nobody seemes to give toot about the Airlines poluting at high level in far greater quantities than the vehcle population. Nuff said!
Jimbo Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
“maximark2601,
It was in the paper today that the Hybrid Camry may be around the $33-35K mark. Not bad considering the Honda Civic Hybrid is $33k.”
Jimbo, the paper may have said that but I’ll reckon it will be in the 40-44k bracket maybe?
Not helping environment? Geezus some small minded people here… oil is running out!!! Yes a hybrid aint the best for enviro RIGHT NOW…. but the technology being perfected is going to help it GREATLY. Wake up people (ie No Name and Matthew). What certainly aint the solution is bigger V8s…. bigger more powerful turboed vehicles etc! (ie Ford and Holden)
I think high $30s for its price.
Just heard on radio… govt is giving Toyota $35mil for the project… good to hear, Toyotas hybrid will actually get built (unlike the Falcon hybrid which will never leave development despite tax payers money being thrown at it for years)
Look you may think I am getting silly, but there is probably heaps of oil/petrol left their just making us pay more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, making us think there is a low amount of oil.
Dont know about that Duck. Personally Im suprised we have as much oil left as we do… when I look at how many cars are on our roads… let alone other towns… other states… other countries… its crazy how much fuel we go through each day!!!
Gee the CAMRY Hybrid will be cheaper than the PIRUS.
How can it be MR Toyota?
The Prius is full of a technology… the Camry hybrid has less technology and will be cheaper to produce (built here afteral… and being higher production will enjoy economies of scale). Of course they could price it higher to profit more, but I think they have the brains to realise Aussies wont pay $45k for a Camry.
Standard Hybrid Camry will be low 30’s – The Motor Report has indicated about $32 000
The question I would ask “How much will replacing the batteries cost”
laurie
You guys have no idea HOW HUGE this is for the automotive industry in Australia. This was a HUGE “win” for the local industry.
Austraian workers in the plants and such are also pretty much guaranteed employment for years to come…
Great news indeed, especially after GM just announces the sacking of workers from their plants.
Camry parts are manufactured locally (not all of them).
Prius are almost imported fully…..
hence the Toyota can afford to sell the Camry cheaper..
Also Prius “imported” to Oz are stacked to the brim…. features that is. Camry Hybrid will have “entry” model options.
Driving Hybred cars can cause unwanted side effects 1 Your brain may turn green,Hybred cars can make people over think enviromental issues making them dumb. 2 Your stomach can turn green,7 out of 10 people(10 out of 10 for Prius)are Physiclly sic after just one lap of Mt Panorama in a hybred. 3 You may start smoking the green,after a few months of hybred ownership,depression can set in.This Phenomena usually occures when a friend or family relatvie buy a performance motor vehicle. 4 Some hybred owners have also reported tendences to want to Have a bat for the other team”if you Know what i mean” but this phenomena strangly only occurs in the innersubburbs of large citys. Your automotive doctor Dr Motari
Laurie, Current standard cost for a replacement battery for a Prius is around $3,000. There would also be a labour cost on top but it should be minimal as it isn’t rocket science to replace a battery. :) I haven’t really heard of anybody going through the process. Anybody?
I hope the ATO try to recoup some of the hundreds of millions of dollars that Toyota is syphoning out of Australia through their transfer pricing arrangements with head office.
At least it would go some way toward recouping the costs of this PR scam to make people feel smug about doing something for the environment.
I don’t understand why people are so negative about this, a manufacture is trying to produce a slightly greener vehicle here and increase local vehicle production. What’s wrong with increasing local production, and pushing for people to safe more fuel and produce less CO2?
Is it because it’s Toyota? If today Holden made the same announcement, may be the comments here will be quite different.
OK TP – I agree about the Hybrid cutting pollution compared to a traditional petrol engine. Don’t forget me old mate diesel though, 20-30% less CO2 (a so-called greenhouse gas)per given engine size than petrol. We all know the manufacturers are working their nuts off trying to save us buying fuel. Whats the answer… targets I hear you say, like the Eurocrats stating CO2 outputs per manufacturer to be 135g/km average per range by 2012 or USA’s 35mpg target. Easily done by simply driving slightly smaller cars. V8’s are dead in current formats. Honestly is there any real need for a 350KW engine for daily shopping trips. No.
Dont get too excited by hybrids, its not the way to go. For one a diesel engine in a similar sized car as the prius was more fuel efficient (Comparo on 5th Gear).
Don’t believe what oil companies tell you about oil running low, it isn’t. Not by a long shot. But we do need to think of something which lessens our dependancy on oil. Just because they are ripping off us blatantly. Whats the answer?? I think hydrogen will eventually be the best long term solution its just storing it safely.
Oh by the way to replace the batteries in a Prius………………$8000+ including labour. So to buy one more than 3 years old you are playing with fire.
TP when was there ANY mention of Falcon hybrid or any government funding for a Falcon hybrid? Further proof you haven’t a clue. Commodore hybrid is all but confirmed. I am looking forward to seeing how this car turns out.
But enough of the small time perpetual crap- CARADVICE I HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU. Find out the truth behind hybrids=
*Are the batteries recycled? or are they made in extremely high polluting factories like reported?
* Are they really capable of high mileage without failure? or are they too complex and erroneous?
* Is the ‘hybrid’ thing just cachet?
I’m not talking comparisons with different sized vehicles with obscure variables, I’m talking pure investigative journalism to cut the BS once and for all. This topic has opened up a can of worms on various blogs and we need definitive FACTS. How about it CarAdvice?
Reality : The Toyota Prius has a reputation of being able to travel inexcess of 300 000km’s with little or no attention bar regular / scheduled servicing.
Infact, the Prius was ranked No.1 in the recent 2008 UK JD Powers Quality / Customer Satisfaction Survey fending of over 100 other models. It was reported that customers were particualrly pleased with the quality and reliability of the car.
Toyota also advertises that the batteries are good for the life of their hybrid cars wether it be a Prius, Camry or Lexus. Question is … what is the life of the car !!
Eitherway, it proves Toyota has engineered an exceptionally reliable, dependable and durable hybrid system.
Foogy : The ATO and Toyota resolved thier differenaces long ago, get over it !!
Glen hit the nail right on the head,theres plenty of oil.Thats what the invastion of Afganistan was about,kick out the Taliban because they would not let oil companys build a pipeline from the newly dicovered oil feilds in russia,though Afganistan to the persian gulf for export,so they had to go
You guys need to relax, this is a product, no different to your v8. Its an alternative way to reduce emissions and fuel usage. Its a wip not a final product. Other posters here feel the same way about the environment and their wallet and have bort a diesel. Whatever works for you, its your money.
I can believe that a diesel is more fuel efficient on the open road, but around town & stopped in traffic the motor continues to run, the hybrid does not.
Needless to say the hybrid’s advantage is were most people drive, in traffic.
Toyota is making a small step to helping car use become a little more environmentally friendly.
Diesel engines run on the smell of an oily rag at idle. They use far less fuel at idle (eg. stopped at lights) than the equivalent petrol engine.
Diesel is great on the open road and is more fuel efficient compared to similar sized petrol engines. What it saves on in regards to greenhouse gas emissions, however, is offset by the larger amount of carcinogenic particles it produces as opposed to petrol engines. (even with modern particulate filters) We are caught in a “choose your poison” game of either killing the environment first, then us or killing us first, then the environment. Hydrogen may be the safest bet but will probably still be a few years off before mass acceptance.
Wait till you see what BMW has to offer on the Hybrid front of Supercars……….Toyota look like T Models……but we knew that,I guess thats why the other car manufacturers have been standing back and laughing at Toyota trying to be pioneers……….
Aaaaaarrrggghhhh – how many times do I have to type “A good diesel has a particulate trap or post combustion exhaust treatment”. Therefore fewer particlates comprable to a guzzling petrol car.
No Name, What qualifies as a “good diesel”? I just went to the green vehicle guide website and compared a Hyundai i30 man diesel and a corolla auto hatch petrol and while the Hyundai has it all over the Corolla in terms of fuel economy and CO2 emissions, the Corolla scored better in terms of air pollutants. I’m not doubting your statement, I’m just looking for information.
TTR Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
“I can believe that a diesel is more fuel efficient on the open road, but around town & stopped in traffic the motor continues to run, the hybrid does not.
Needless to say the hybrid’s advantage is were most people drive, in traffic.
Toyota is making a small step to helping car use become a little more environmentally friendly”
That’s were your wrong. In europe there are already diesels with much of hybrids technology without having to lug around big heavy batteries.
Just look at the mini diesel. It’ll stop the engine at a set of traffic lights and fire up when you take off. It uses regenerative braking to charge the electrics. its brilliant. Land Rover has a stop/start diesel on the cards for next year. BMW have a few on the market already with more to come.
Mazda also have a very clever stop/start facility in the making that doesn’t use a starter at all. It’ll turn the engine over with a little squirt of the direct injection and a spark. Again, Brilliant.
Hows the mini go? Brilliant infact in a four way comparo it returned 57mpg. The PriArse? low 40’s. A Ford focus diesel split them.
If there was a country that didn’t fit the hybrid model it would be Australia. Outside of the CBD postcode a petrol electric hybrid doesn’t make sense dragging batteries around the countryside isn’t my idea of fun.
glen where do you get your info from the back of a corn flakes packet! i just priced up a battery pack for a 3 year old prius and it is $3,740 “inc gst” and there has not been one sold for a current body shape prius in australia! prius are being used by taxi company’s in queensland because they are doing 100,000 km and all they are replacing is the front brake pads way more reliable than falcons & commodores and less than half the fuel bill’s! the new hybrid camry will be every bit the same level of reliability!and i hope will be around the $35,000 area.
Camry Hybrid prices will approx only be 5k more expensive as annoucned in Toyota pressroom, so infact you can step into a base model for approx 35k.
To date in Australia on 2 batterys have been changed in Toyota Prius and both where for Commercial use on Taxi’s in Darwin. So this proves that Prius are not affected by high temps and that to date no consumer vehicles have had there battery’s replaced.
the whole camry hybrid thing is great new’s for australia! we will all have a choice to go green with the toyota range of fuel effecient cars or buy the petrol guzzling dinosaur engine range from holden or ford, the public have already made there choice with toyota now selling more than holden and ford combined this will just put the icing on the toyota cake! oh what a feeling!!!!!!!!!
TR yep, the public are buying gas guzzling dinosaur engined toyotas buy the boatload. Hilux anyone?
The Hand up… BMW Supercar Hybrid when will see this car?? And why are the other manufactures standing back, are they also watching how GM has got Hybrid so wrong and dont want any part of it
Cobra – Yes diesel may use barley no fuel to idle at lights but Hybrids use NO fuel to sit at lights.
Mathew, do your research before circulating such stale urban legends around.
Quote – “The production of batteries in Ontario has resulted in the area around the production-plant to become dead due nickel – a component of the electric car battery.”
For your information, Toyota purchases a tiny fraction of the plant’s nickel output for not only Prius batteries, but for many other components in all of their models. In fact almost every other auto manufacturer in the world purchases nickel from the Inco plant. This provides the high strength steel frames in your vehicle to increase the safety of the occupants.
Here is the reality of this myth:
“In fact any damage occurred more than thirty years ago, long before the Prius was made. Since then, Inco has reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by more than 90 per cent and has helped to plant more than 11 million trees.
The company has won praise from the Ontario Ministry of Environment and environmental groups. Sudbury has won several conservation awards and is a centre for eco-tourism.”
Here is the entire article:
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/.....ctory.html
Conservative,vested interest views have always been in denial on a range of issues & this is another.
So what if the battery pack needs replacement after a decade of service,repair & refurbish is far more green than
having the latest.
Bring on the purely electric plugin rechargeable station wagon with a small LPG powered back up engine & I will gladly say goodbye to technology from last century.
Internal combustion engines as the primary source of powere for cars must be on borrowed time.I hope.