Hybrids dominate Japan market
Hybrids are set to account for more than half of domestic passenger vehicle sales in Japan for the first time this year, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
The forecast comes as Bloomberg says such vehicles eclipsed the combined number of petrol and diesel cars sold in Japan for the first time in 2023,
Hybrids are popular there as Japanese manufacturers remain committed to the technology despite other developed markets putting a greater focus on battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
High prices for imported BEVs, limited charging infrastructure and range anxiety have also curtailed consumer demand for zero-emitters, reports Bloomberg.
New passenger-car sales, including the kei category, were 51 per cent petrol and 43 per cent hybrid in 2022. Diesel models took out four per cent of the market and BEVs scored two per cent.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts say hybrids are popular in Japan because they’re “affordable and reliable” and predict the category will gain market share beyond 2024 as cars with internal combustion engines lose further ground.
Popular models in Japan include Toyota’s Prius, pictured, which became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle in 1997, the marque’s RAV4 and Camry, Honda’s Accord, and Hyundai’s Elantra Hybrid.
