Snapshot

  • First-gen Prius was Toyota’s first hybrid in Australia, arriving in 2001
  • Toyota Aus passed 100,000 hybrid sales in 2018
  • Camry has been the most successful model in hybrid uptake

Toyota Australia is ploughing full-steam ahead towards achieving its next major hybrid sales milestone, having recorded 210,817 cars sold from 2001 until the end of June 2021.

As previously reported by WhichCar last month, Toyota surpassed the 200,000 mark in May and has further continued the upwards trend in June, having taken the crown as the most popular brand in Australia so far this year.

The figure marks an exponential uptake in hybrids by the Australian public over the last three years, with over 100,000 units sold between mid-2018 until mid-2021.

To put the numbers into perspective, it took Toyota 17 years to sell its first 100,000 hybrid vehicles in Australia, all started by the release of the original Prius which landed locally back in 2001.

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Toyota is on track to beat last year’s record of 54,335 hybrid vehicle sales – achieved in an overall poor year for the industry thanks to the pandemic – as it has shifted 34,036 units to the middle of 2021, accounting for 28.6 per cent of all Toyota vehicles sold.

The hybrid Camry has by far been the most popular model in helping Toyota reach the 200,000 sales milestone, accounting for 75,998 (36 per cent) of the brand’s hybrid vehicles, with 79.5 per cent of Camry buyers opting for the electric-assisted engine option this year.

RAV4 has been the second most popular hybrid model over the past 20 years, racking up 48,632 units sold though it is the leader for the hybrid push this year, its 14,821 units making up 43.5 per cent of all Toyota hybrid sales in 2021.

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The range of Toyota hybrid vehicles expanded last month as the all-new Kluger SUV was introduced to the market, filling in a segment which the Japanese manufacturer had never existed in before.

Toyota Australia Vice President sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, said the popularity of hybrid vehicles is emerging more than ever before, helping consumers reduce running costs and their environmental impact.

“Toyota hybrid electric variants have become a mainstay on Australian roads. Our combination of HEV technologies deliver performance, with great fuel economy and low emissions, that is resonating with buyers more than ever,” said Hanley.

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Breakdown of Toyota hybrid sales (as of June 30, 2021)

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