Toyota has filed a trademark application for the Hybrid Max name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. While Toyota's plans for the name are unclear, it seems likely that it will be used for a hybrid version of the redesigned Tundra pickup truck arriving for 2022.
First spotted by Motor1, the application was filed on July 23, 2021, but Toyota hadn't been granted the trademark at the time of publication.
Automakers often file trademark applications for names they don't necessarily plan to use, but Hybrid Max does fit the naming scheme Toyota has teased for at least one powertrain destined for the redesigned Tundra.
2022 Toyota Tundra's new iForce Max powertrain
Due for a reveal shortly, the next Tundra will feature a new powertrain called iForce Max, Toyota revealed in June. The automaker has been using iForce branding for V-8 Tundra engines for most of the truck's existence, but it isn't clear what the "Max" version will be. We've heard a twin-turbocharged V-6 might be offered in the new Tundra, possibly as a replacement for the current 5.7-liter V-8.
Toyota has also said that it will fit every vehicle it sells in the U.S. with some form of electrification. A Tundra Hybrid Max would check that box, possibly as a second offering alongside the iForce Max powertrain.
Toyota has also shown a photo of the off-road-focused Tundra TRD Pro model, as well as some interior photos, and confirmed that the next-generation Tundra will feature a power-sliding rear window that retracts down into the back of the cab. We also expect the new Tundra to ride on a new modular truck platform that will likely be used for the next-generation Sequoia, 4Runner, and Tacoma as well.