That may well be. And if so, has it not really been a mutually beneficial ride? They can have the CARB/CAFE credits -- they deserve them, heck, give them bonus points. When I regularly see this: I am a very, very happy owner, even if I'm in some sense, being taken on someone else's ride! Even accounting for the computer's "optimism," I'm still running well in excess of EPA! I guess I'd better be sure to keep my oil and filter changed regularly. . . EDIT: Notice also the device at the very top of the picture. That's a Valentine-1 Radar and Laser Detector, with remote display installed. My point? I'm not driving like a hypermiling grandfather with a mile-long line of angry traffic behind me. I'm not reckless by any means, but I actually drive on the somewhat fast side. And I'm still seeing these results.
I so wish I had thought that myself! Most of the other Toyotas now look like catfish gasping for oxygen -- except for the Camry with it's hideous insect face. It's like you know there's a mouth somewhere in there, but you really don't want to know where. Ewwww.
otoh, honda, hunday, kia, chevy, ford, chrysler, etc. don't push their hybrids and don't sell many either
True enough. Perhaps it's as simple as they're all just doing low-rate production, while waiting for the next fuel price spike. It' not a matter of "if" after all, it's just WHEN. Honda, not too long ago, introduced it's new Insight, a real advance over the previous car of that name. Funny how they used to have a Civic Hybrid, now gone, but the new "Insight" looks VERY Civic-like -- now Toyota has a Corolla Hybrid, and a Prius that is now larger than the Corolla (Insight used to be tiny, in both its former incarnations). Apart from the merits, the new Insight looks a lot more like the rest of the Honda line, and so, perhaps won't be viewed as so much of an oddball.
I've never seen an advert here. I did see a USA one for Gen4 - something to do with a football match or?? Bank robbery with PRIUS as the getaway car.
Here - the Camry is selling at 48% hybrid. I haven't got the current figure, and I read a few months ago that Corolla was about 30+% hybrid but stocks of hybrid were the issue at the time.
I forgot about those -- the Prius getaway car series of commercials! Seems like that must be at least three years ago, maybe a bit more. Those were actually pretty funny. Seems like those were running about the same time as the Camry ads with the stunt man who botches the shoot because the driver assist features won't let the car crash on command! Don't recall any Prius ads since, though.
Besides this football getaway car, ... there are a couple of others if you search YouTube. The 2017 didn't seem to make much sense: Here's 2018 And TOYOTA have some, probably more directed to owners, but still could be seen as advertising - here's one:
That is because there is less dealer servicing profit in a hybrid. Elon was right to shun dealers in my opinion.