Toyota is among the leaders in the plug-in hybrid vehicle market with its popular PHEV variants of the Prius and RAV4. Plus, the brand has an extensive range of hybrid and fully electric vehicles. CarBuzz found two recent patents that provide a glimpse at what the automaker is planning for a potential future PHEV pickup. Both of them mount the battery packs in the cargo bed to some extent.
While filing a patent isn't necessarily a sign that a company plans to introduce the new technology, a plug-in hybrid pickup would fit with Toyota's current brand strategy. Rather than replacing every model with an EV, the company is taking a targeted approach to match the needs of the various segments. Some are becoming regular hybrids, while others get PHEV variants.
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