Toyota to go hybrid-only on popular models

TOYOTA Australia has announced that it will no longer sell petrol-only versions of model lines where hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) are available.

The move means that eight model lines – including Camry, Corolla, Corolla Cross, C-HR (already HEV only), Kluger, RAV4, Yaris, Yaris Cross – are now 100 per cent HEV for customer orders.

Current petrol orders will be fulfilled for all customers and across all lines with petrol stock on most models expected to be depleted by the end of the calendar year.

Prices will not be discounted to absorb the difference between cheaper petrol and dearer hybrid models, meaning many vehicles in the Toyota range will become more expensive.

GR models – including the Yaris, Corolla, GR86, and Supra – are not offered with a hybrid alternative and will therefore carry on unaffected.

Announcing the decision to Australian media, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing, and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the customer-driven move will accelerate a sales trend that has seen hybrid sales at record levels.

“Toyota has been implementing our HEV strategy over an extended period and remains committed to innovating across a diverse array of powertrains, which is the essence of our multi-pathway approach to decarbonisation,” he said.

“This approach was central to global decisions, made in the earliest planning stages, that the 2024 new-generation C-HR and Camry models would be offered exclusively with hybrid powertrains.

“Around the same time, consumer demand in Australia for hybrid models was rising consistently, including in 2020 when our overall hybrid share near-doubled to more than one-quarter of our total sales – and it has continued to grow ever since.

“Faced with this surging demand, we were confident in the future of HEV as the dominant powertrain of choice for most passenger cars and SUVs, which led us to make decisions that would ultimately impact on sales of petrol-only models.”

Mr Hanley said ongoing developments, including the upcoming mandated New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, confirmed the foresight of Toyota’s strategy.

“Toyota has more than two decades of experience in batteries, motors and other electrification technologies with recognised benefits for fuel efficiency and emissions,” he added.

“We have also made significant local investments to educate consumers and promote broad acceptance and demand for hybrid-electric vehicles.

“As a result, we are seeing more Australian motorists than ever embracing the practicality and smooth performance of this technology, as well as the fuel-saving benefits and lower CO2 tailpipe emissions compared with equivalent petrol-only cars.

“Our HEV share reached a record 33.5 per cent last year and has jumped to 46.6 per cent in the first five months of this year, including 48.9 per cent in May.

“So far this year, our total HEV sales have more than doubled to 46,821 vehicles compared with the same period last year with all models continuing to attract strong demand.

“At the same time, we have worked closely with our production teams in Japan to increase supply, which has substantially reduced wait times on popular models like RAV4 Hybrid.

“Overall, we have now sold more than 430,000 HEVs in Australia since we launched the original Prius in October 2001.”