Fleet Managers will be rejoicing as more RAV4 hybrids hit the roads thanks to an increase in supply of all Toyota Hybrid Electric variants which should drive down wait times for fleet and novated lease buyers across its range.
Record March volumes for RAV4 were instrumental in Toyota’s deliveries of electrified vehicles (HEV, BEV) doubling (+104.7%) in the first-quarter to 24,722 cars and SUVs compared with 12,075 vehicles in the same period last year.
As a result, Toyota’s electrified share reached a new high of 44 per cent for the first three months with the brand’s total volume accelerating by 37.4 per cent to a market-leading total of 56,238 new vehicles.
RAV4, Corolla, Camry, Kluger and Corolla Cross all set new first-quarter records for Hybrid Electric sales.
Improved first-quarter supply has also benefited customers of non-Hybrid Electric models, including HiLux 4×4, LandCruiser 70 Series, LandCruiser 300 Series, HiAce, Fortuner and Yaris Cross.
In March, Toyota’s sales volume of 18,961 vehicles included 9,347 electrified vehicles, representing a record share of 49.3 per cent.
RAV4 was dominant, cracking 5,000 sales for the first time. Of these, 93.3 per cent or 4,728 cars were Hybrid Electric – also a record for any month.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing & Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the latest Hybrid Electric sales figures confirmed that last year’s official sales results reflected constraints on supply rather than the healthy underlying demand.
“Now that supply has vastly improved for Toyota, there are clear indications of a resurgence in Hybrid Electric demand here in Australia and also in markets like Europe and the United States,” Mr Hanley said.
“That’s because consumers increasingly regard Hybrid Electric models as providing practical, capable and affordable vehicles compared to petrol variants that help cut their carbon footprint while reducing fuel bills – and they retain strong resale values,” he said.
Mr Hanley said Toyota was particularly focused on further reducing customer wait times for popular models with many vehicles such as RAV4 Hybrid Electric models now averaging six months or less, while HiLux 4×4 is just four months and LandCruiser 300 Series has come down to seven months.
