Toyota hybrid sales rise 45% in Europe last year

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.