While many automakers are racing to embrace fully electric vehicles, Toyota isn’t entirely sold on the idea of EVs taking over the market.
The Japanese car giant is now exploring an alternative path: developing diesel hybrids.
Toyota sees an opportunity to improve fuel efficiency in its passenger cars by combining diesel engines with hybrid technology. Despite the global shift away from diesel post-"Dieselgate," the company believes there’s still a place for it—particularly in markets where diesel remains king.
“Worldwide, diesel is, of course, a very important engine for the Land Cruiser,” Keita Moritsu, Toyota’s chief engineer, explained.
At the same time, he acknowledges the dominance of gasoline in major markets like the U.S. and China.
“That’s why we’ve focused on our hybrid system with a petrol engine. But in the future, the global situation could shift. So we have to keep an eye on everything—hybrid and electrification systems alike,” he added.
The report, shared by Autodrive, paints a picture of a company looking to balance innovation with practicality.
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Creating a diesel hybrid isn’t without its challenges.
According to Russell Tomlinson, Toyota’s Australian head of research, evaluation, and training, the engineering hurdles are significant.
“With diesel, you already get a lot of torque at low revs, so hybrid assistance needs to kick in mid-range to support the driveline,” he explained. “But aligning those systems—and overcoming the engineering challenges—is no small task.”
Toyota isn’t starting from scratch.
Its ‘V-Active’ mild-hybrid diesel system, available in the 2.8-liter turbodiesel engines used in the Prado and some HiLux models, already boosts fuel efficiency. However, these systems don’t allow the cars to run on electric power alone; the engine stays on at all times.
For now, Toyota’s primary focus has been gasoline-powered hybrids, such as the i-Force Max V6 hybrid in the Tundra and the upcoming 2.4-liter gasoline hybrid for the Prado.
Interestingly, the diesel hybrid concept isn’t new for Toyota.
Back in 2021, Rod Ferguson, Toyota Australia’s head of product planning, hinted at its potential.
“We’re exploring diesel hybrids, petrol hybrids… looking at every possible way to reduce CO2 using various technologies,” Ferguson said.
Diesel hybrids remain a niche in the auto industry. Mercedes-Benz has tested the waters by pairing diesel engines with battery packs in SUVs and heavier vehicles, but such systems have yet to gain traction.
