Toyota announced Monday that it planned to manufacture the first hybrid pickup truck, adding to its line of low-emission models, according to Bloomberg News. The automaker is striving for a full lineup of gasoline-electric vehicles. Since the birth of the Prius in 1997, Toyota’s hybrid fleet has grown to include six types of vans, sedans and sport utility vehicles. Toyota was the first manufacturer to mass-produce a hybrid vehicle. With the addition of the pickup, Toyota is ultimately trying to sell 1 million hybrids in the near future. Last year, the carmaker sold 134,700 gas-electric models. Once it begins building the hybrid Camry, Toyota expects to sell more than 300,000 hybrid vehicles in that year. Toyota’s new truck could be the concept model FTX that was on display at the North American International Auto Show last year with both the V8 and hybrid engines. Toyota has been working with General Motors Corp. in fuel-cell research and development, and, though that partnership officially ends next March, the two expect to continue the collaboration, the Bloomberg report said.
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