What's Up with the New Toyota Hybrid System?

For the loyal Toyota fans out there, the headlines have been good as of late. The Toyota Venza is returning in ultimate luxury fashion, the Sienna is getting a much-needed refresh with upgrades to both its interior and exterior, the Corolla Hatchback is getting a new (and eye-catchingly red) special edition, and a GR Hot Hatch is coming soon! There's a lot to catch up on if you're just seeing this information for the first time, but there's one thing about these new models that may have caught your eye. Toyota will be using a new type of engineering, deemed the Toyota Hybrid System II, for the Venza and Sienna that has us wondering what's changed. 

The Venza and the Sienna will be arriving to Toyota of Orlando before you know it and you're probably what exactly has changed with the new Toyota hybrid system. We're here to walk you through it so you can shop smart and appreciate the wonders of Toyota technology. 

The Toyota Hybrid System

Toyota is credited with putting the first commercial hybrid on the road, the Orlando Toyota Prius, back in 1997. With time the engineering and functionality of this unique motor system has changed significantly since 1997. To understand just what makes the new Toyota Hybrid System II so different, we need to take a dive back into how the original hybrid system works!

As you probably know well by now, a hybrid vehicle uses both an internal combustion engine and an electric powered motor that uses a rechargeable battery. Toyota uses what's called a "full hybrid" system. This means that the Toyota hybrid uses both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine and each power source can act independently in some capacity. There are other types of Orlando Toyota hybrid systems, like Parallel that only receives light assistance from the electric motor and Series that uses electric power entirely to drive and an internal combustion engine for charging purposes. 

What Sets the Orlando Toyota Hybrid System II Apart?

It's a well-known fact that technology in the automotive industry only gets better year after year and that goes for Toyota's use of hybrid based technology. The new Hybrid System II will be used first in the Toyota Venza and Sienna to be released during this summer and drivers will likely notice a significant difference from previous Orlando Toyota hybrids.  

A large upfront change is a significant weight reduction from the previous hybrid systems. The Power Control Unit (PCU) in the Toyota Hybrid System II is 20% lighter and 10% smaller than previous iterations. This gave Toyota engineers the ability to place this component above the transaxle for better performance. The transaxle (a large part of the hybrid assembly) is now using a rolling-coil structure, less wiring, and a new gear structure designed to reduce power loss over time and distance. A new nickel-metal hydride battery will also be used thereby reducing the overall size of the battery and cooling system.  

Are you interested in checking out the new Toyota hybrid Venza and Sienna? They'll be here at Toyota of Orlando very soon! Shop our inventory online and check back for frequent updates.