Toyota still remains the world leader in HEV sales
- The Toyota group is still the world leader in sales of full-hybrid cars (HEV), as it has clearly outpaced all its competitors since the launch of the first Toyota Prius in 1997. Since that date, the Prius has been renewed several times and totalled 5.9 million sales since its appearance on the market. And the HEV engine has been extended to all models in the Toyota and Lexus ranges. But not yet to the small Daihatsu models.
- Thus, the number of HEV-powered cars produced by the Toyota group since 1997 greatly exceeds 20 million units. In 2022, global sales of Toyota and Lexus HEVs exceeded 2 million units for the first time, representing 20% of the carmaker's total production.
- The main competitors that have entered this specific HEV market are Honda (455,000 sales in 2022), Hyundai-Kia (365,000 sales) and Renault-Nissan (355,000 sales). Since 1997, even if their launch was later than that of the Toyota Prius, Honda has sold 3.7 million hybrid cars, Hyundai-Kia 1.6 million units and Renault-Nissan 1.8 million. The four carmakers (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai-Kia and Renault-Nissan) account for 95% of worldwide HEV sales between 1997 and 2022.
- The other carmakers who have invested in the HEV market are few in number and their sales volume is very low. The question now is whether HEV motorization is viable in the long term (in terms of CO2 emissions) and if not, will switching to BEV and/or PHEV motorization be easy for all of these carmakers.