Toyota Hybrids Drive Strong 1St Quarter 2015 Sales In Uk

[FROSTYBALLS]

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-hybrids-drive-strong-2015-first-quarter-sales-results

[cuius]

Looking at the UK alternative-fuelled registrations, the year-on-year growth figures are:

Pure electric +114%

Plug-ins +1007%

Diesel hybrids +35%

Petrol hybrids +9%

How's Toyota's plug-in doing in the biggest growth category?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Toyotas plug in isn't doing very well at all. But what a missed opportunity it was.

Growth of plug in's up by 1000%! Not 100%, but 1000%. And how many PIP's did Toyota sell in that period? Few.

Give the public what they want and don't charge over the odds for it. Simple.

Toyota UK just didn't know what to do with the PIP or misunderstood what it was about and just mishandled the whole release and pricing. Their rather sad sales figures for the PIP reflect this. The Mitsubishi Outlander and the BMW i3 REV to a lesser extent show that there is a demand for a plug in car at a reasonable price. Just imagine how ahead of the field Toyota would now be if they'd released the PIP correctly? They'd have that corner of the market covered.

I wonder if the 9% increase in petrol hybrids is down to sales of Toyota hybrids or whether it is because it now includes a hybrid offerings from BMW, VW, Lexus, Vauxhall, Audi etc? I'm guessing the diesel hybrid sales increase is mainly down to Citroen and Peugeot.

Toyota had the UK hybrid market all sewn up, got complacent and maybe missed the boat?

[PeteB]

On the (admittedly flimsy) evidence of what many regulars here and on other sites have posted, Toyota could have nearly doubled sales of the Prius plug in just by fitting a spare wheel, even at the price (and some people claim to have bought them for around £23k on internet sales sites).

Just image if it had been sensibly priced in the first place and had a spare wheel under the boot floor!!!!!

On the evidence of the converted plug in I used to drive which did nearly 40 miles EV, a company with Toyota's capability should have been able to manage that in their sleep.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

On the evidence of the converted plug in I used to drive which did nearly 40 miles EV, a company with Toyota's capability should have been able to manage that in their sleep.

Just expanding on that though, that wasn't in EV only mode though was it, that was with use of the ICE was it not from what I've seen on some of the american conversion forums?

[cuius]

Meanwhile, "Strong 1St Quarter 2015 Sales" of 9% must be compared to:

Renault +17%

Porsche +28%

Nissan +22%

Mini +53%

Mercedes +19%

Mazda +18%

Lexus +21%

Land Rover +21%

Jeep +280%

Dacia +10%

[PeteB]

On the evidence of the converted plug in I used to drive which did nearly 40 miles EV, a company with Toyota's capability should have been able to manage that in their sleep.

Just expanding on that though, that wasn't in EV only mode though was it, that was with use of the ICE was it not from what I've seen on some of the american conversion forums?

Sometimes! The conversion was quite clever in that they replaced the Toyota HV Battery with a Lithium Ion pack, and plumbed it into a controller that took over the EV switch and talked to the standard computers through the exiting HV Battery connector, so they avoided the need to muck about with the original programming.

While the HV Battery had plenty of charge, it just told the car it was maxed out, so unless I was heavy footed or went above about 60 mph, it would stay in EV, except for the warm up period and to provide heat if required. On a mild day I could get to my London office (about 39 miles from where I lived at the time) using barely a thimble full of petrol, and occasionally did about 1500 miles between fills!

After being plugged in all day, I could get almost home on EV too.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The plug-in grant scheme was extended in 2014 to either 2017 or until 50,000 new car registrations of plug in vehicles is reached.

Currently there are approx 32,500 plug in vehicles registered and estimates of around 8,000 due to be registered in the remainder of 2015.

As 50,000 registrations are nearing (2016?) It will be interesting to see whether the current scheme is extended again or scrapped.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Or if Toyota reduce their PIP by £5,000? It's worth £28k before the grant, making £23k after.

Or was. :)

[barrycoll]

New 2015 Prius Plug In is £22,521 from drivethedeal.com exactly £100 LESS than a fully loaded T Spirit with leather and solar roof

Over £10k discount

[Grumpy Cabbie]

HowManyLeft have updated to reflect 2014 in full.

Looks like Prius sold less cars ever since 2004 when the gen2 was only just released.

2014 total sales of Prius (inc PIP): 2,812

2010 total Prius sales: 10,384

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/family/toyota_prius#!newreg

Some drop for their hybrid trophy model. Sure other Toyota hybrids have taken some of the sales, but it's a drop and a half. The Prius is iconic and love or hate it, it's the car everyone knows of as a hybrid and popular with taxi drivers - or was. With no new cars to meet supply, they'll be looking elsewhere.

[cootuk]

We bought our Approved 2006 Prius when 3 years old for just under £10k.

Now we would be looking nearer £13-14k.

I don't think we would justify buying a used Prius now, but plenty of Auris hybrids.

[johalareewi]

New 2015 Prius Plug In is £22,521 from drivethedeal.com exactly £100 LESS than a fully loaded T Spirit with leather and solar roof

Over £10k discount

I am guessing that includes the £5k grant?

[PeteB]

...The Prius is iconic ... and popular with taxi drivers - or was...

Around here about half the taxi drivers using hybrids seems to have switched to the Auris Touring Sport, which is understandable for the versatility as much as anything.

The Prius Plus+ would seem a good choice too, but not seen any as PHVs presumably due to the price.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

New 2015 Prius Plug In is £22,521 from drivethedeal.com exactly £100 LESS than a fully loaded T Spirit with leather and solar roof

Over £10k discount

I am guessing that includes the £5k grant?

Correct.

[Chris Dance]

I would have purchased a Prius Plug In last August. I have installed in the garage a British Gas charging point all ready for the new PIP car. I was put off by price and no spare wheel not even a skinny which would fit properly. The salesman did not seem over keen to sell me a PIP either. I am pleased with the my 2014 Prius T Spirit. I think the PIP would have sold well but Toyota seems to have got its marketing for the PIP wrong.

[barrycoll]

Interestingly, this weekends Sunday Times carried an article about The Public Demanding spare tyres, and some manufacturers responding to this demand.......and one was TOYOTA!

....but NOT with the PIP!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Interestingly, this weekends Sunday Times carried an article about The Public Demanding spare tyres, and some manufacturers responding to this demand.......and one was TOYOTA!

Yes - Toyota have made spare wheels and related accessories available for the Auris, Yaris and Aygo.

[CPN]

Indeed and my wife (who threw her toys out of the pram about it at the time) insisted on a spare wheel for our Yaris when we bought it last October. It got included in the deal for no additional cost to us.