Toyota Releases a Hybrid Tundra

With years of hybrid cars and SUVs under its belt, Toyota recently added a hybrid Tundra pickup to the line. With the current wave of electrified trucks, how soon will a hybrid Toyota Tacoma appear in showrooms?

A Whole New Tundra for 2022

Toyota gave the Tundra line a major facelift for the 2022 model year, including introducing off-road-ready Tundra TRD Pro trim. This 4-door crew cab truck has a 5.5-foot long cargo bed and, like other Tundra models, gets a significant interior upgrade.

Gone are the hard plastics, replaced by more upscale-feeling soft-touch materials. And the infotainment system gets a big update, starting with its available 14-inch touchscreen and easy voice access to the multimedia system (just say, “Hey, Toyota”).

So, How Capable is the Tundra Hybrid?

Toyota introduced a new hybrid engine option for the 2022 Tundra. The 3.4L V6, called the iForce MAX, cranks 583 pound-feet of torque and 437 horsepower, which is 89 more horses than the standard power plant. At last check, the automaker hadn’t released the EPA mileage ratings on the hybrid pickup.

As part of the trail-devouring TRD lineup, the hybrid is loaded with off-road features, including on-demand 4-wheel drive. The Tundra also gets the TRD Pro off-road suspension and Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, and a Multi-Terrain monitor that lets you choose your view (front, rear, side).

And to protect vital parts, the Tundra has a high-strength fuel tank and transfer case covers, as well as the TRD aluminum front skid plate.

Transforming a Lineup

If it seems like it took Toyota a long time to get into the electrified truck game, you’re not entirely wrong. Spurred by start-ups like Rivian and Tesla, as well as governmental pressure to stop selling gasoline-powered vehicles, manufacturers like Toyota, Ford, and General Motors have ramped up the development and production of their electrified truck lineup.

In 2020, Toyota declared that every vehicle in its lineup would have a hybrid option by 2025. In the same press release, they talked about developing “stronger vehicles that have added torque, developing cars that can carry a solid load – something usually looked for in pickup trucks.”

Will We See a Hybrid Taco Truck Soon?

Toyota is building the new Tundra on the automaker’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform. This is the same platform that the next models of the Tacoma pickup and SUVs 4Runner and Sequoia will be built on. Electrifying the next generation of Tacoma trucks seems like a logical conclusion.

For its part, Toyota debuted an as-yet-unnamed concept electric truck at last year’s Auto Shanghai. Whether it gets its own nameplate or becomes the next generation Tacoma, well, we’ll have to wait and see.

The Future of Toyota Trucks is Here at Last

For Toyota truck fans who have been waiting to get their hands on a hybrid Tundra, the wait is finally over. For those hoping to snag a hybrid or fully electric Toyota Tacoma, the pickup is about to get a redesign. And we would be very surprised if that doesn’t include an alternative fuel option.