Howlin´ Over Hybrids - November 08, 2005

Toyota´s push into hybrids earned it plenty of friends among environmental activists. But its newest hybrid wagons have one group, the Bluewater Network ( link ), crying foul.

The environmental activist group is running a print ad that shows Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe standing next to a wolf in sheep´s clothing.

The claim: The automaker´s new hybrids, the Lexus RX 400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrid, are designed primarily for performance, not fuel economy. It cites a New York Times article that found the real-world fuel economy of the hybrid Lexus virtually the same as the version with a conventional powertrain.

It also hits Toyota for joining other automakers in a lawsuit to block California from regulatin carbon dioxide emissions.