THE BREAKDOWN Toyota will begin converting production lines in Japan for next-generation batteries in 2027. That’s how many hybrids Toyota estimates it will sell this year, maybe even more. Tucked away in an otherwise uninteresting press release about its Q1 results for the 2027 fiscal year (which started on April 1, 2026) is news about new batteries for hybrids. Toyota's next-gen battery tech for hybrids Photo by: ToyotaToyota Touts Greater Efficiency, Lower Production CostsInitially, the annual production capacity will supply enough batteries to power around 600,000 hybrids. Toyota isn’t going into details about what lies ahead for its next-generation batteries developed specifically for hybrids.