Witness the New Toyota Tundra Hybrid in Winter Testing
The all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra will be the first Tundra to feature a hybrid powertrain. It can tow up to 12,000 pounds, but a hybrid pickup is new territory even for the automaker whose reputation for dependability and electrification is virtually peerless. So how will Toyota ensure the Tundra can live up to expectations even in extreme conditions?
In a new video, Toyota highlights some of the ways it is testing how the Tundra’s capabilities hold up in winter conditions. Whether the truck faces icy winds, snow, or sleet, the Japanese manufacturer wants to be sure that customers get the best possible performance and that the Tundra continues to perform as expected, no matter how cold it gets.
Learn More: Toyota hybrid and electric technologies
“The goal is to understand what customers do in the snow, how our truck reacts, and how to calibrate it properly so that it has the best winter driving performance of any vehicle out there,” says Mike Sweers, senior vice president and executive chief engineer for Toyota’s F-Platform vehicles, which include the Tundra and Tacoma trucks.
That includes putting the Tundra through its paces on dynamic handling courses and leaving it inside a cold chamber just to see what happens. In the video embedded below, the Toyota winter testing team focuses on HVAC performance and vehicle stability, without forgetting the “fun stuff” like drifting around on the snow. “We’re taking the time to check the customers’ winter conditions that they’ll see the vehicle in,” explains Skylar Watson, vehicle performance engineer.
One nice touch is that Toyota isn’t just winter testing the Tundra Hybrid. It’s also taking a look at its competitors’ trucks (in the video, you may spot a Ford F-150). “We can compare it to the competition and understand where we’re lacking and need further improvement, and where we’re excelling,” Sweers says. This is a great attitude that shows Toyota is not taking it for granted that it has the best truck right out of the gate, and is willing to put in the work necessary to ensure customers are satisfied.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.