(The Guardian) Hybrid car sales racing ahead of electric
More Australians are choosing eco-friendly vehicles for their next ride, with sales figures revealing low-emission cars are soaring in popularity.
It’s not high-profile electric cars racking up the greatest sales though, but hybrid vehicles that combine battery and fuel technology.
Hybrid vehicles have become so popular in Australia they now make up more than one in every three cars sold by Toyota. But experts say the trend may be a “halfway” measure in Australia’s transition to a more environmentally friendly fleet, and a result of overdue electric vehicle policies.
New sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries this week revealed Australians’ new love for hybrid vehicles, with more than 8,500 sold in November – almost double the number of battery electric vehicles at 4,457. Plug-in hybrid cars, which feature electric and fuel engines, represented a much smaller percentage of the market, selling just 459 vehicles during the month.
Australia’s top-selling car brand, Toyota, dominated the hybrid vehicle sales surge, with its cars making up 85% of all hybrids sold in Australia during November. A spokesperson said hybrid vehicle sales now represented more than one-third of cars it sold in Australia, and hybrid sales this year had outstripped 2021 sales with a month still to go.
The company currently sells nine hybrid vehicles in Australia, ranging from the smaller Yaris and Corolla Hatch to the larger Rav4 and Kluger.
More Australians are choosing eco-friendly vehicles for their next ride, with sales figures revealing low-emission cars are soaring in popularity.
It’s not high-profile electric cars racking up the greatest sales though, but hybrid vehicles that combine battery and fuel technology.
Hybrid vehicles have become so popular in Australia they now make up more than one in every three cars sold by Toyota. But experts say the trend may be a “halfway” measure in Australia’s transition to a more environmentally friendly fleet, and a result of overdue electric vehicle policies.
New sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries this week revealed Australians’ new love for hybrid vehicles, with more than 8,500 sold in November – almost double the number of battery electric vehicles at 4,457. Plug-in hybrid cars, which feature electric and fuel engines, represented a much smaller percentage of the market, selling just 459 vehicles during the month.
Australia’s top-selling car brand, Toyota, dominated the hybrid vehicle sales surge, with its cars making up 85% of all hybrids sold in Australia during November. A spokesperson said hybrid vehicle sales now represented more than one-third of cars it sold in Australia, and hybrid sales this year had outstripped 2021 sales with a month still to go.
The company currently sells nine hybrid vehicles in Australia, ranging from the smaller Yaris and Corolla Hatch to the larger Rav4 and Kluger.
