If you have been following the moves of carmakers, Toyota rarely does anything if it doesn’t see any market value or if it will not serve to improve their image.

The Japanese car maker showcased a Camry running on CNG or compressed natural gas during the Los Angeles Auto Show back in 2008. Insiders told everyone that the unit is just a study.

The Camry CNG disappeared somehow until we saw it in the recent 2009 SEMA auto show redesigned as a savvy green buggy coined as the Camry CNG Hybrid. The recent version of the Camry couples the natural gas propulsion system with the Hybrid Synergy Drive technology.

Maybe the Japanese carmaker has more plans for the CNG than we expected with legislations in countries like the United States giving tax incentives for the consumers who will prefer natural-gas cars.

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While I have never driven any of the Toyota hybrids and I certainly do not know the specific mechanics of the models. I am puzzled by the fact that in order to use the electric motor, the vehicle still relies on gasoline. According to Toyota’s Myths and Misconceptions section, although the Hybrid Synergy Drive system cars are capable of running on electric alone, it cannot be done without gasoline in the fuel tank. The material further states that running the cars in electric mode only without gas in the tank can lead to severe damage of the hybrid system.

Moreover, these electric mode vehicles should not be confused with other electric models that require charging by plugging into an outlet. The electricity used to power in electric mode is ”an ingenious regenerative braking system that converts otherwise wasted kinetic energy into electricity and the ability to reclaim excess energy when driving at a sustained pace, the battery is automatically recharged”.

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