1 Frustrating Delay Holds the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Back
It’s not surprising for the new Toyota Tacoma to have a delay. Recent model launches for vehicles like the Ford Bronco didn’t exactly have a smooth rollout. But the 2024 Toyota Tacoma was supposed to reach dealerships months ago, so what’s the holdup?
Why is the 2024 Toyota Tacoma facing delays?
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma was supposed to arrive at dealerships by the end of 2023. The press release for the new Tacoma seemed confident with that delivery timeframe. Plus, the price and build configurator is live.
So where are the new models? They could be stuck at the factory in Mexico because the Tacoma doesn’t have an official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel rating yet.
At the time of writing, the Tacoma isn’t listed on the EPA’s site. Without an official EPA rating or approval vehicles can’t be shipped to customers or dealerships. But hopefully, the EPA will finalize its testing soon.
The Tacoma wasn’t impacted by the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike like Ford and Chevrolet. Also, there’s been no indication of supply chain shortages with the Tacoma.
But we’re wondering if something is going on with the hybrid engine. The Tacoma is currently only available with the standard gas engine. The TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims aren’t available at the moment either.
The hybrid models are expected to arrive in the Spring of 2024. So, why is the hybrid engine months behind the gas option? Is there a battery shortage? Does Toyota need to provide a Tacoma Hybrid to the EPA for testing?
Toyota released estimated fuel economy figures for the 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbo engine is expected to get about 21 mpg in the city and up to 26 mpg on the highway. Why hasn’t Toyota released any estimates for the i-FORCE Hybrid Max engine?
Also, the standard engine cranks out 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. On higher trim levels it provides 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque.
The i-FORCE Max pairs the same 2.7-liter engine with an electric motor and a battery pack to generate 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.
It’s hard to resist that extra torque for off-roading, but how long is the wait for a hybrid engine? Rumors suggest that dealerships won’t have any hybrid Tacoma models until 2025.
The only tangible clue about Tacoma delays is related to the EPA certification. But does the problem go much deeper than the surface?
