staff@slashgear.com (Chris Davies)
2024-04-10 11:15:16
www.slashgear.com
In fact, while they might both be hybrid-electric, the Prius and the Tundra each have very different focuses for their drivetrains. For the Prius, electrification is a way to save gas and boost fuel economy: it’s rated at up to 57 mpg combined by the U.S. EPA, more than double what the average new 2024 vehicle is expected to achieve. To hit that, we found in our Prius review, it switches to electric-only power as much as possible, minimizing how much gas it has to burn.
With the Tundra, though, Toyota is pitching a V6 engine to a segment that would commonly expect a V8. That’s not always the case anymore — thanks to efforts to increase the performance of turbocharged gas engines — but generally the demands of full-size truck owners are centered around horsepower, torque, and tow capacity. You’re not meant to drive the Tundra hybrid as an electric-only vehicle (in fact, there’s not even an ‘EV Mode’ button like the Prius offers, though at times of very low drivetrain demand the truck might decide to use EV power alone), but to reap the combined benefits of gas and electric together.
The electric motor may only contribute 48 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, but as we’ve seen in fully electric vehicles, that torque arrives straight away. In the Tundra, it fills in the gap as the gas engine spins up its turbos and achieves its own maximum output. The result is 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque, more than competitive against a V8 truck.