Toyota pushes back ‘every model will be hybrid or electric’ target from 2025 to 2030
Toyota previously said it would have a hybrid or electric version of every model in its range by 2025. That deadline has now been pushed back to 2030 as utes, vans, and 4WDs need more development time.
Toyota has pushed back its target of having a hybrid or electric version of every model in its range by 2025 – to 2030 – because the world’s biggest car maker needs more time to develop advanced technology for its utes, vans and four-wheel-drives.
The Japanese car giant has also excluded GR performance models from the 2030 hybrid or electric target – for now – because it is yet to decide on what will power future performance models.
“We’ve always said that we would look to have a target of trying to get electrification across the majority of our models by 2025,” said Sean Hanley, the sales and marketing boss of Toyota Australia.
Hybrid power will eventually come to the Toyota HiLux ute (above), Toyota HiAce van, and Toyota LandCruiser 4WD, but the deadline for Australia has been extended from 2025 to 2030.
“Today we’re making a solid commitment that we will have … an aggressive target … to have electrification across the entire range by 2030, excluding GR.”
However, the Toyota executive said the company was “still on track to introduce a number of (electric or hybrid models) by 2025”.
Light commercial vehicles – such as utes, vans and heavy duty 4WDs – “were always going to (have) a slightly delayed response to electrification than passenger cars and SUVs,” said Mr Hanley, adding he could not disclose the timing of the electrification of those future vehicles, but development was underway.
A hybrid version of the Toyota HiAce (above) may not arrive until 2030. And it's unclear if it will be a petrol- or diesel-powered hybrid.
For Toyota, the 2030 rollout of electrification – which includes a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure-electric and hydrogen power – “will include definitely HiLux and LandCruiser going forward at some point”.
As for the possibility of a hybrid Toyota GR Yaris – or a pure-electric GR performance flagship – the Toyota executive said: “We haven’t said GR is excluded from electrification. We are just taking a more cautious approach (to our comments).”
Mr Hanley added: “It shouldn’t be interpreted that GR would never have a battery-electric or hybrid type of technology going forward. We’re just being cautious around what we want to commit to.”
“Never rule out the possibility of GR having some type of alternate powertrain,” said Mr Hanley, pointing out Toyota notched up three wins in a row at the Le Mans 24-hour race with a hybrid sports car.
Toyota has also previously presented a prototype of a road-going hybrid hypercar (pictured below).
In 2017, Toyota's global boss Akio Toyoda said: “By the early 2020s, we will have more than 10 battery electric vehicles available worldwide and by 2025, every model in the Lexus and Toyota line up with be either electric, or have an electrified option.”
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