As the world’s largest auto maker, Toyota has the market share to do pretty much whatever it wants, and what Toyota is apparently deciding to do is to ease the world’s dependency on oil (and increase its dependency on Toyota’s battery packs).  Toyota is launching a staggering seven new hybrid cars for the 2012 model year, including not one, but two plug-in hybrids to go along with the current line of 14 gas/electric hybrids sold around the world.  It’s staggering, and the sky is the limit for Toyota’s range of post-oil vehicles.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, the Toyota vice president responsible for the Prius, predicts that by 2030, 30 percent of Toyota’s sales will be plug-in hybrids, hence the move to plug-in hybrids early with both a small car that plugs in and a RAV4 SUV (in combination with Tesla Motors) that is powered via wall socket next year.  Toyota is also planning on two more electric/gas Lexus models, and they’re even working on a hydrogen fuel-cell powered version of the Prius for certain markets.

I can’t say I am totally on board with electric cars in general, but with every $50 tank of gas I pump into my old Buick, I get more and more willing to give them a shot in the future.

Tags: Toyota, Tesla Motors, hybrid cars, hybrid vehicles, Toyota to launch seven new hybrids, new hybrid brands, vehicles, new cars, 2012 Toyota models, 2012 hybrids, Toyota to make plug-in hybrid, Takeshi Uchiyamada

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