Toyota sees spikes in sales of hybrids and fuel cell vehicles
Toyota has seen a spike in sales of hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, with hybrid sales in Europe up 45% and on track to sell up to 300,000 units this year alone. The Toyota Mirai, the company's fuel cell car, has also attracted interest and sales, with 270 units sold in the US in the seven months to July. The manufacturer is set to exhibit three new hybrids at the upcoming Paris motor show, including the Toyota C-HR hybrid, the new generation Toyota Prius and the Lexus LC 500h coupe.

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has seen hybrid sales rise 45% this year as it prepares to exhibit three new hybrids at the Paris motor show.

The manufacturer will be exhibiting the Toyota C-HR hybrid, the new generation Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid and the Lexus LC 500h coupe at the event.

“We’re on track to sell close to 300,000 hybrids this year,” said Karl Schlicht, executive vice-president of TME.

“That is a new record for us and positions Toyota and Lexus as leaders in electrification.”

The company plans to achieve more than 900,000 total sales in Greater Europe this year, with a third of those being hybrid.

At the moment, 31% of TME's customers chose a hybrid powertrain in 2016, with 41% in Western Europe alone.

Toyota’s target is to reach 50% of its European sales with hybrid vehicles by 2020, with a hybrid version in every major market segment.

Among the most popular Toyota hybrid models are the Auris Hybrid (57,884 sales from January to August), the B-segment Yaris Hybrid (55,611), and the RAV4 hybrid (25,909).



Toyota sells seven hybrid models in Europe: the Yaris, Auris/Auris Touring Sports, RAV4, Camry, Prius, Prius Plug-In, Prius Plus (MPV), and is introducing an 8th hybrid at the end of this year: the all-new Toyota C-HR, a highly anticipated C-segment crossover.