Toyota targets EVs

Toyota has begun a program to purchase used Prius plugin hybrid vehicles from Japan and is targeting sales of up to 100 this calendar year. The low-mileage, three-year-old, third generation Prius plugins have already started to arrive and Andrew Davis, general manager of used vehicles and marketing Toyota NZ, is confident they will be a success. “It’s been a relatively long-term plan and in terms of new electric vehicles (EVs) coming into New Zealand, options were quite limited. However, we knew that customers were interested, so we’re trying to meet that consumer need. “Key to the whole process was our Signature Class refurbishment programme in Thames, which has given us a strong platform. This process has been around since the late 1990s when tariffs were removed and allows us to provide a near-new vehicle in terms of standards. "We are also taking the opportunity to convert the dashboard information display to English and adding a New Zealand spec audio with reversing camera and English owner’s manual so the car is enhanced to suit New Zealand consumers” The government announced its EV blueprint last month, with a target of 64,000 vehicles on New Zealand roads by 2021, but Davis says Toyota had already begun work on bringing in used electric/hybrid product. “We were already planning to bring in a plug-in vehicle or to do something in that space. Availability is obviously key, but we’ve already got a handful established purchase sources in Japan for our Signature Class programme and we will work with those sources to get access to the cars.” Toyota has ambitious targets in terms of sales numbers. “From just gauging initial demand and feedback from our dealers, I’m hopeful we can sell maybe 100 this calendar year. Somewhere between 50 and 100 essentially, but I would hope we’re on the higher side of that because we’ve got a cost-effective option for customers,” says Davis. “Toyota knows there is apprehension about EVs and plug-ins and a key factor was making sure we had the infrastructure to support them. We asked questions such as could our dealers offer charging points, did we have the technical support and could we offer battery warranties. Well, we can, so we can eliminate that customer apprehension and meet the demand.” The price range for the used plug-in Prius will be around $35,000 to $40,000. “Well that’s what we are aiming for but everything is dependent on specifications and age of the car, but I’m sure other companies will follow our lead – used Nissan Leafs are already coming in. “Obviously there has been a bit more interest from companies and consumers since the government announcement, but from our perspective Toyota has very aggressive gas-emissions targets. Its aim is to have 90 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, so we’re always looking for opportunities to reduce our footprint. I guess this project came up slightly earlier than access to new vehicles so was just a strategy to help try and achieve those targets.”