Plug-in hybrids need 200km battery: Toyota
BY MATT CAMPBELL | 19th Mar 2024
TOYOTA Australia still is not ready to offer customers a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option, despite a burgeoning portfolio of such models being offered in overseas markets – including versions of the Prius, RAV4, Crown Sport and new-generation C-HR.
A halfway house between petrol-electric and fully electric drivetrains, PHEVs use a bigger battery pack capable of 50-80km electric-only travel and the ability to recharge from mains power, with petrol propulsion for longer journeys
Toyota Australia – the brand most known for offering non-plug-in-hybrid options – has previously both suggested that plug-in hybrids will eventually form part of its line-up and said the plugging-in process is something Aussies do not want to do.
Comments from Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley at the recent launch of the all-hybrid C-HR range suggest the brand will not be ready to offer a PHEV anytime soon.
When asked if he thought Australians needed a specific amount of electric-only driving range in a PHEV, Mr Hanley indicated that his thoughts are around the 200km mark – more than triple what most current models offer.
“I have an ideal range in my mind. But it's not necessarily a prerequisite range. It's an ideal range. So right now, I think they get around 60 to maybe 80 kilometres on their own, which is not bad. It's credible. That wouldn't stop you from bringing it to market in Australia, by any means.” said Mr Hanley.
“But ideally at some point, you'd love one that does 200km on its own. That would be ideal. As battery technology evolves, I think that could be possible. It's not going to be tomorrow. But I think it could be possible. And that, therefore in my own thinking, is a perfect solution for the Australian market to get the best of both worlds.”
Mr Hanley admits he is soon to experience PHEV life for himself, with a Lexus NX450h+ to be his next company car. That model offers a claimed 87km of EV-only driving range.
While no PHEV models are sold here under the Toyota brand, the company does offer the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid with approximately 67km of electric range, not to mention the Prius Prime with a 71km claim and the new C-HR plug-in hybrid model said to offer 66km on batteries alone. GoAuto understands the Crown Sport PHEV can do around 90km.
Toyota C-HR chief engineer Toshio Kanei told GoAuto at the launch of the new compact crossover model that while it is a hybrid model range for Australia, the European market will see PHEV account for a quarter of total C-HR sales.
Mr Hanley did not go as far as to rule out the PHEV version of the C-HR but did not confirm it is on its way, either.
“Plug-in hybrids are coming at some point. We don’t have any firm date or firm model at this stage, but I wouldn’t rule out any options,” he said.
In terms of the C-HR, Mr Hanley said the model “could very well be first (PHEV), it could very well be second – we don’t know right now”.
“But we’ve often said that hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, fuel-cell vehicles, and battery electric will be part of our portfolio in the next five years, and nothing has changed.
“The battery technology is always evolving. While we don’t have any grand announcements today, as battery technology evolves, and you get better range on EV only from a plug-in hybrid, I think that’s a credible option – particularly for Australian conditions. So I do see plug-in hybrids being a significant part of the industry over the next five years.
“Not right now, but it'll definitely be between now and 2030. It will become a desired part of our product offering,” he said.
The price premium for PHEV models has been a point of contention in the past, and Mr Hanley suggested that asking $15,000 or more in addition to the standard car might not make sense for some buyers. However, in recent times there have been fringe benefit tax exemptions ending in March 2025 – which in some novated leasing options can see those huge price premiums somewhat negated.
“There's a cost involved. These things aren't cheap. So it's just about whether you can bring it to the market,” he said. “We have a really great loyal take up of HEV vehicles. And the reason we've been able to do that is not a secret. Affordable, practical, reduce the fuel bill, and they have some environmentally friendly credentials,” he said. “So when you look at a PHEV, you've got to look at that affordability because they are slightly dearer again.
“We're talking an average $2500 to $4000 between an ICE and HEV, on average. One or two might be a bit more or less,” he said. “A PHEV could be $5000 more (on top of that HEV premium). It could be. I don't know sitting here, but I'm assuming it's more expensive.
“Is that tolerable for that car in this market? That's what you got to look at,” he said. “There's a market, it's got to be affordable though.
“If you had something that was offering you a big advantage on EV mode in range, the big advantage to say around 200km, and I'm only being hypothetical, then that's a different scenario. That's a different value proposition,” he said.
PHEVs have so far accounted for 2014 sales in Australia in 2024, an increase of 125.8 per cent on 2023’s first two months.
While Toyota has yet to add a plug-in hybrid to its ranks, mainstream competitor brands have embraced the technology, as have premium manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
Mitsubishi offers two PHEV models, the Eclipse Cross and Outlander, while MG offers the HS +EV plug-in model, and Mazda offers PHEV variants of its CX-60 SUV.
Typically, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, allow drivers to run their car on fully electric power, typically for up to 65km, without the need for the ICE cutting in. Thus, zero tailpipe emissions for the majority of Australian commuters provided they charge regularly.
