Toyota Camry CNG Hybrid Concept
At the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., showcased their Hybrid Synergy Drive® system with a compressed natural gas (CNG) Toyota Camry CNG Hybrid concept car. Chris Hostetter, group vice president of TMS Advanced Product Strategy, stated that "in the near future, growing demand for liquid petroleum will exceed supply" and that CNG can potentially reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil and reduce vehicle operating costs.
Natural gas is a clean and safe petroleum alternative, producing lower concentrations of particulate emissions, NOx, CO, CO2 and NMOG than gasoline, along with a higher flash point (ignition temperature) and quicker dispersal into the atmosphere should a leak occur. To convert the stock Toyota Camry Hybrid into a CNG vehicle, the gasoline fuel system was swapped out for a CNG one, including two CNG tanks in the spare tire well area.
On the outside, the car was also given a sporty design with a custom front fascia, rear bumper cover, side body skirts, and 19 x 7.5 alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza 225/35ZR19 run-flat tires. The custom "Compressed Natural Gas Hybrid" graphics completed the car's unique look.
Toyota had also marketed a CNG-powered four-cylinder Camry to fleet customers in California in 1999; however, due to lower gas costs at that time, the program was discontinued a year later. Currently, there are fewer than 1,000 CNG refueling stations across the U.S., with less than half open to the public. Hostetter mentioned that "Toyota believes CNG has huge potential, both in the U.S. and globally," though CNG is just one of the alternative fuels the automaker is exploring through research and development.
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