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Toyota Unveils Plans For 15 New Or Improved Hybrids (It Already Has 23)

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Everyone knows Toyota Motor is the leading manufacturer of hybrid vehicles, dating back to the 1997 introduction of the first Prius compact.

But it's not until you see every one of Toyota's global hybrids -- 23 models in all - lined up in a parking lot that you fully appreciate the Japanese automaker's dominance in hybrid technology.

The company brought all 23 Toyota and Lexus hybrid models sold worldwide to a media event near Detroit this week as it announced plans to roll out its next wave of hybrids featuring "significantly improved" fuel economy, sportier styling and improved driving characteristics. Between now and the end of 2015, Toyota will introduce 15 new or redesigned hybrid vehicles globally.

The most famous, of course, is the next-generation Prius, the quirky car that started it all. Though critics scoffed when it was first introduced -- gas prices were low and everyone in America drove big SUVs -- it is now in its third generation, with total worldwide sales of more than three million vehicles since 1997. Its success inspired competitors to follow suit, and today there are more than 50 hybrid models to choose from. Prius remains the biggest seller, by far, accounting for 70 percent of the three million hybrids on U.S. roads today.

The company is due to introduce a redesigned Prius around 2015, though officials declined to say exactly when it will go on sale. They did say, however, that the next generation Prius will have a smaller motor, lighter chassis and an improved battery that packs more energy. The goal is to improve upon Prius' current 50 mpg-rating for combined city and highway driving.

“The current Prius has held America’s fuel economy crown for many years,” said Managing Officer Satoshi Ogiso. “In its three generations, Prius MPG has improved on average by about 10 percent, each generation. The challenge to continue to improve at this rate---to beat your own record---becomes very difficult, but makes it all the more motivating. We are very motivated to beat our record," he said.

Toyota also said it is stepping up its advanced battery research and is developing a new cordless induction charging system to make plug-in cars more appealing to consumers. Fuel cell technologies are also part of Toyota's plan for the electrification of the automobile. The company is working to bring its first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, a mid-size sedan, to market by 2015, and will show a prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, and at the U.S. Consumer Electronics Show next January.

Hybrid sales remain a very small slice of the U.S. market, but it is the technology that Toyota is betting on for the future. “Over the past 5 years, the percentage of hybrid sales at Toyota has grown from 10 to 16 percent of our total sales mix," said Bob Carter, senior vice president of sales in the U.S. "Honda is less than 2% and Ford is less than 3%. And while hybrid as a percentage of the total market is just under 4 percent, we believe that it can…and must grow.”