Toyota Australia says it will no longer sell petrol-only variants of the RAV4 SUV and all other models where hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) are available.
The move means that Corolla and Camry sedans and the Corolla Cross, RAV4 and Kluger SUVs are now 100% HEV for customer orders.
This expands Toyota’s HEV-only family to nine models, joining the Yaris Cross SUV, Corolla and Yaris hatches, and the new C-HR SUV.
The GR models remain unchanged as they are not offered with a hybrid alternative.
Toyota Australia spokesperson Sean Hanley says this development will accelerate a sales trend of 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,” Hanley says.
“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 since.
“Faced with this 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.”
Hanley says 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 fuel efficiency and emissions benefits.
“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 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% last year and has jumped to 46.6% in the first five months of this year, including 48.9% in May.
“So far this year, our total HEV sales have more than doubled to 46,821 vehicles compared with last year, with all models continuing to attract strong demand.
“Simultaneously, we have worked closely with our production teams in Japan to increase supply, substantially reducing wait times on popular models like RAV4 Hybrid.
“Overall, we have sold more than 430,000 HEVs in Australia since we launched the original Prius in October 2001,” he says.
