Prius, the second best-selling hybrid in Mexico
Today Toyota has around 85% of the hybrid market in Mexico and so far it has not missed an electric model in its range to remain among the five best-selling brands in the country. In 2021, it sold some 25,897 hybrid vehicles, equivalent to 28% of its sales. The proportion is higher at its premium brand, Lexus, where about half of the nearly 500 units sold are hybrid models.
Prius was the model that paved the way for Toyota in the hybrid market. The third generation was the first to reach the Mexican market in 2010 and today it is the brand’s second best-selling hybrid model, after the Sienna minivan.
From January to October, Toyota sold 3,533 units of the Prius and 4,909 units of the Sienna in Mexico, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.
Why is Toyota still committed to hybrids?
“With the current interest in electric vehicles, not a day goes by that we don’t get asked: ‘How much longer are they going to be producing hybrids?‘” Simon Humphries, Toyota’s global director of design, said during the unveiling in Tokyo.
Toyota just launched into the electric vehicle marketwith the goal of selling 3.5 million units per year worldwide by 2030.
But the world’s leading company continues to bet heavily on hybrid vehicleswhich combine thermal and electrical technologies.
“Electric vehicles are an important solution (for the climate) but they are not always the best option for everyone. In a pluralistic world, we need diversity of optionsHumphries added.
The environmental efficiency of hybrids is increasingly controversial, especially since their environmental benefits vary greatly depending on how they are used.
In October, the European Parliament approved a text that forbids the sale of new thermal vehicles in Europe from 2035including hybrids.
In 25 years, Toyota has sold more than 20 million hybrid vehicles worldwide of all its models.
With information from AFP
