Toyota Motor Corporation has reported worldwide sales of more than 1.5 million electrified vehicles in 2017, three years in advance of the original target set for 2020.
Additionally, cumulative sales of electrified vehicles now exceed 11.47 million, which represents a reduction of more than 90 million tons of CO2 compared to sales of equivalent conventional vehicles.
Since the introduction of its first commercially available electrified powertrain on the Prius in Japan in 1997, Toyota has worked on improving the technology as the basis for its electrification efforts.
The company launched the first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the Mirai, in 2014, the fourth generation of the Prius hybrid electric vehicle in 2016, and the second-generation Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in 2017.
Commenting on the latest development, Shigeki Terashi, executive vice president, Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “In just over 20 years, we have seen the sale of electrified vehicle increase from under 500 sales to more than 1.5 million. This enables us to establish a solid and sustainable foundation for the mass production of a more diverse portfolio of electrified vehicles across our range.”
Toyota said it would continue the development and diversification of electrified vehicles as it turns its sights to include the mass production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2020, starting in China and India, followed by Japan, the US and Europe.
The company also aims to further expand sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in emerging markets to further contribute to lowering CO2 from new vehicles sales worldwide.
These efforts to improve and increase the diversity of electrified powertrain options is tied directly to Toyota’s ‘Environmental Challenge 2050’ goals, wherein the company aims to achieve annual electrified vehicle sales of 5.5 million units by 2030, as announced in December 2017.
To achieve its goal, Toyota unveiled plans to have 10 BEV models available worldwide by the early 2020s, and from around 2025, the company aims to have an electrified version available for all vehicle models across its global line-up.
