Toyota says Australians don’t want full-electric vehicles as RAV4 hybrid sales soar

Toyota says battery electric or plug-in hybrids “may not be the most desirable or practical solution” for Australia, saying “the market has spoken” as sales of conventional hybrid powertrains soar.

Largely credited with pioneering hybrid technology in Australia – through the at-times criticised launch of the Prius in 2001 – Toyota is now basking in the success of that strategy, with hybrid vehicles now commanding some 22 percent of sales for Australia’s top-selling car brand. The hybrid boom is beign led by the popular RAV4, which was crowned Australia’s best-selling car last month.

Around 80 percent of the 4309 RAV4s sold in July were hybrids. With the latest RAV4 the petrol-electric models have accounted for 61 percent of sales.

Other Toyota hybrids are powering along, too; 52 percent of Corolla sales are now hybrids and 65 percent of Camrys.

More broadly, hybrid sales are up 93 percent in Australia, to 29,900 total sales in the first seven months of 2020. And Toyota is responsible for the lion’s share of them. In fact, the brand says it expects its hybrid sales to increase to 30 percent next year.

“We’ve never ruled out plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles. It’s just that right now, it might not be the most desirable or practical solution,” says Toyota’s sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley.

“The RAV4 success story is one I’m deeply proud of. It’s not an overnight success in terms of hybrid. The hybrid powertrain success in Australia has been a 20-year journey.

“Some of the journalists (at the launch of the Prius) were questioning the technology, and the future of hybrid technology. Some might even have thought we were crazy back then.

“But we believe our strategy to invest in hybrid tech has now brought us to the point where we can offer Australians an extremely efficient vehicle that delivers low emissions, and is practical, reliable and affordable.”

Hybrid over rechargeables, for now

Toyota is making no bones about where it sees hybrid tech in Australia, declaring it the “best solution” out there, and confirming there is no immediate plan to introduce the brand’s global PHEV or upcoming BEV offerings.

“We believe that hybrid powertrains are the best solution at the moment,” Mr Hanley says. “It doesn’t mean it’s the only solution going forward, and the market will ultimately determine what the powertrain choice is.

“Our strategy also includes the introduction of hydrogen vehicles, and we haven’t ruled out the introduction of plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. But we have to determine when it’s best to do this for our local market, that’s deeply important.”

Toyota in Australia is in the midst of doubling – or perhaps tripling – down on its hybrid strategy, with the RAV4 Hybrid and Corolla Hybrid now joined by the Yaris, which is available with a hybrid powertrain, too. It will soon be joined by the Yaris Cross, the Kluger and, from 2023, the Corolla Cross – all of which will be offered with a hybrid option.

Even the LandCruiser won’t prove immune, with credible international reporting pointing to the incoming 300-Series being offered with a V6 petrol hybrid in Australia; Toyota has committed to having an electrified version of every car in its lineup (except the Supra sports car) by 2025.

The local plan is somewhat out of step with Toyota’s global promises, with the brand to launch 10 BEVs in the 2020s, and aiming for one million zero-emission vehicle sales, including BEVs and fuel cells, by 2025.

But that target likely won’t include Australia, at least in the short term, with Toyota here convinced it’s giving the people what they want.

“Right now the market is speaking. And it’s hybrid electric vehicles,” says Mr Hanley.