Toyota Australia has announced it will no longer sell petrol-only variants of RAV4 and all other models where hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) are available.
This means petrol variants of Corolla and Camry sedans and the Corolla Cross, RAV4 and Kluger SUVs are no longer available.
In a statement, it said the Toyota Fleet Management team will continue to communicate with customers who have existing orders to provide updated information on vehicle delivery.
The move expands Toyota’s HEV-only family to nine models, joining Yaris Cross SUV, Corolla and Yaris hatches, and new-generation C-HR SUV. GR models continue unchanged as they are not offered with a hybrid alternative.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley said the landmark development is set to 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,” Mr Hanley 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,” he said.
In 2020, Toyota’s overall hybrid share nearly doubled to more than one-quarter of total sales, and the company says it has continued to grow 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.
He 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 benefits for fuel efficiency and emissions.”
“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.1
Toyota’s 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 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,” Mr Hanley said.
