Prius double up for dealers

TOYOTA Australia has set about doubling the number of dealers selling its Prius hybrid car but is placing strict conditions on eligibility.

In an attempt to boost private sales of the niche petrol-electric car, Toyota will seek to increase Prius-selling dealer numbers from 49 to around 90 before the new generation version goes on sale from November 12.

"We’ve been overwhelmed by (the dealers’) response and their enthusiasm for the Prius franchise – and we use the word franchise carefully because there are some very strict criteria, about 30 in total, above that of our usual franchise agreements," said Toyota Australia divisional general manager – marketing, Scott Grant.

Examples of these include allocating specific Prius work bays in the service department, investing in specialist tools, having service staff undertake Prius-specific training and being able to respond to customer inquiries within 20 minutes of an e-mail request.

"We’ve found to date that e-mail is a very approachable way for this kind of target audience and responding within 20 minutes using the latest technology is mandatory," Mr Grant said.

The expansion program will bring the number of Prius-selling dealers to one in three across Toyota Australia’s retail network and will expand its hybrid car presence in regional areas.

With the first generation hybrid, around 70 per cent of dealers were located in metropolitan areas – and the total number of cars sold across the network in two years was less than 500. The aim now is to sell 600 per annum.