Toyota has announced a new version of its flagship hybrid vehicle, the Prius.
This is the first full model change in seven years, and the aim is to capture the needs of eco-cars with hybrid vehicles, which are good at EVs (electric vehicles), which are popular for decarbonization.
The first model was released 25 years ago as the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, and 5.05 million units have been sold worldwide to date.
The new model, which was the first full model change in seven years, adopts the latest hybrid system to improve acceleration while maintaining low fuel consumption, and has a design with a low center of gravity.
It is planned to be sold in Japan, the United States and Europe, etc. In Japan, a hybrid model is scheduled to be released this winter, and a plug-in hybrid model is scheduled to be released around next spring.
While EVs are becoming more popular in major markets such as Europe and China, Toyota's strategy is to focus on sales of hybrid vehicles in addition to EVs as one of the technologies for decarbonization.
At the presentation, Simon Humphries, general manager of the design area, said, "Electric vehicles are solidifying their position as the future standard, but carbon neutrality requires eco-cars that everyone can drive and can afford." , emphasized the idea that hybrid vehicles are also a viable option for decarbonization.
Significant increase in EVs Demand for hybrid vehicles may also be strong
In response to the trend toward decarbonization, the number of cars powered only by engines will decrease in the global automobile market, while the number of EVs (electric vehicles) will increase significantly, and for the time being, demand for hybrid vehicles, in which Japanese automobile manufacturers have strengths, will remain strong. is expected to progress.
According to the British research firm LMC Automotive, 77.76 million new cars were sold worldwide in 2020, of which 69.74 million, or nearly 90%, were engine cars.
On the other hand, 2.21 million EVs and 2.67 million hybrids accounted for only about 3% of the market.
However, in response to the global decarbonization trend, it is expected that in the future in major markets such as Europe and China, there will be rapid replacement with electric vehicles such as EVs that do not emit exhaust gas while driving.
In 2030, global new car sales are expected to reach 104.77 million units. 1 in 3 new cars is expected to be an EV.
Hybrid vehicles will also account for more than 10% of the total, reaching 11.36 million units, and sales are expected to quadruple compared to 2020.
For this reason, as a Japanese automaker with strengths in hybrid vehicle technology, we would like to steadily capture the needs of hybrid vehicles that have good fuel efficiency and are cheaper than EVs.
However, the EU = European Union and the state of California in the United States are accelerating the movement to strengthen regulations, such as by banning the sale of new engine vehicles, including hybrid vehicles, by 2035.
Automakers are likely to be forced to make difficult decisions about how to introduce electric vehicles such as EVs and hybrids while carefully monitoring regulatory trends in each country.