Toyota’s latest hybrid is a boat

Toyota announced that it has developed a hybrid boat. Called the PONAM-28V, Toyota claims it is the first parallel hybrid boat in Japan. It uses a combination of a 256-horsepower internal-combustion engine and a 48-horsepower electric motor that also makes 258 pound-feet of torque. For electricity storage, it has a 11 kWh lithium-ion battery. Among the benefits Toyota lists are improved fuel economy and emissions, and also quiet operation when running in electric mode.

To help with the testing process, Toyota will provide these 28-footers to the Tokyo government at no cost. The government will be using the boats to conduct maintenance at Port of Tokyo facilities, and for transporting people to different 2020 Olympic sites around Tokyo Bay. The government will also provide canal tours with the Toyotas. What Toyota gets from this testing is data and feedback from the government on how the boat performs and how it can be improved.

Don’t expect to see private owners with these hybrid boats anytime soon, though. The Toyota PONAM-28V models will be in testing from July 2018 until March 2021. In the meantime, you’ll have to settle for one of Toyota’s conventional boats. Or if you have the money, you could spring for a Lexus yacht.

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