With all the consumer hype on the rising costs of gasoline, Toyota offered an alternative through its Camry hybrid concept. The automobile company’s brainchild fell into the second category at the said auto show last Wednesday.

The hybrid edition of Toyota Camry runs on a 2.4 liter Toyota Hybrid Synergy four-cylinder engine. Instead of using the traditional system for gasoline engines, Toyota replaced the engine’s compression system with the one that uses Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. Despite the change, the unit still boasts off a 170 horsepower rate.

The concept amazed participants when they learned that the unit does not even use a drop of gasoline to work. The hybrid Toyota Camry recorded a 33 mpg fuel economy rating.

Wondering where in the unit does one put the reserve CNG? Two tanks of the said alternative gas are installed on the storage space located near the area for spare tires. The tanks carry an approximately 8-gallons worth of regular gasoline.

Hybrids and fuel economy are not entirely new ideas for Toyota. As a matter of fact, the company has had a program on natural gas in California since 1999. Toyota, however, stashed the program due to the lack of refueling structures. The company opted to revive the said program after learning that almost half of the 1,000 natural gasoline stations in the country are serving the public.

Car enthusiasts present in the event also remarked that they first saw the hybrid Toyota Camry at the Sustainable Mobility Seminar of the automobile company last fall.