Toyota Australia ready to introduce electrified versions of its top-selling four-wheel drives
A hybrid-powered Toyota four-wheel drive such as the new Toyota Prado or HiLux could soon be available in Australia, where the nation’s top-selling brand is looking to boost the number of its models at least partially powered by electricity.
As part of its promise to release at least three new battery-electric models Down Under by the end of 2026, Toyota Australia today also announced a bold target for “electrified” vehicles – including hybrids – to make up at least half of its sales by 2025.
In addition to its previous commitment to offer an electrified version of every model in its range (except sporty GR models) by 2030, the ambitious new goal shines the spotlight on the Japanese brand’s top-selling four-wheel drives and commercial vehicles, which have to date sidestepped the hybrid revolution.
It also opens the possibility that Toyota could convert some of its popular nameplates – such as RAV4 and Camry – to hybrid-only power in response to booming consumer demand.
“Our sales share from electrified vehicles will jump to more than 50 per cent by 2025 – and possibly quite a bit higher,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing today.
Last year 126,458 – 54.7 per cent – of the 231,050 Toyotas sold here were heavy-duty four-wheel drives or commercial vehicles such as utes and vans.
To meet its targets, Toyota would either have to significantly ramp up sales of its existing hybrid models or sell loads of its soon-to-arrive EVs without cannibalising other models in the range.
Otherwise, the company would have to lean on vehicles such as the HiLux, Prado, LandCruiser, Fortuner or HiAce in order for electrified vehicles to account for at least half of its sales by 2025.
“Mmm,” was Hanley’s succinct response when it was suggested that at least one of the Toyota 4WD or commercial vehicle fleet could be electrified by 2025 to achieve the fresh target, adding it was “quite conceivable”.
When asked if it could mean that more than one of the commercial vehicles would be hybrid or electric by 2025, Hanley said that was also “quite conceivable”.
Until now, Toyota’s hybrid dominance (it sold 89 per cent of all hybrids registered in Australia last year) has been limited to ‘soft-roader’ SUVs such as the Kluger and RAV4, and passenger cars such as the Corolla and Camry.
Toyota says it is sitting on big order banks for many of its hybrids, in particular the RAV4 and Camry.
Various overseas news outlets have recently reported that one Toyota 4WD – the soon-to-be-revealed new Prado – will get a hybrid system globally. A new HiLux is also due in 2025.
Hanley admitted that product development timelines could change as the brand reacted to fast-changing consumer demand and tightening government regulations.
“We’ve been very firm with our commitment,” said Hanley.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t accelerate some of those technologies in the future,” he added, saying it was “quite conceivable that some of our commercial vehicle product line-ups and product strategies could change – as it would”.
And hybrid or plug-in hybrid tech is at the forefront of Toyota’s options.
While Toyota believes hydrogen fuel-cell tech can play a role in the long term, it concedes the current lack of refueling infrastructure makes it impractical in the short term.
And Hanley stressed there were significant challenges in making battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) perform the towing and remote-road duties people expect of LandCruisers and Prados.
“BEV will not be able to do the things that our customers want them to do in the rural areas, in the heavy lifting, heavy towing [areas],” he said, also referencing the lack of EV charging infrastructure in regional Australia.
All of which suggests hybrid tech is likely to be fast-tracked.
Of course, whenever Toyota does unleash hybrid technology on its four-wheel drives, it’s likely to filter through other models in the range.
Toyota likes to share tech across its models; the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is used in the Prado, HiLux, Fortuner, HiAce and Granvia.
Reports from Japan last week also linked a hybrid version of that engine to an updated version of the iconic LandCruiser 70 Series, the utilitarian model widely employed by farmers, miners and adventurers.
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Keyword: Hybrid power looms for Toyota HiLux, LandCruiser, Prado and Fortuner