Toyota To Introduce Mass-market Hybrids In India By 2022

The carmaker’s current entry-level hybrid is the Camry, which is priced at over Rs 37 lakh

• Toyota to push for hybrid models rather than pure EVs only.

• It believes hybrids are cleaner than EVs in terms of overall carbon footprint.

• Toyota only offers two hybrids in India at the moment: the Camry and Vellfire.

• Toyota has partnered with Suzuki and Daihatsu for compact electrified vehicles.

• In partnership with Suzuki, Toyota is also setting up a battery production facility in India.

The push towards electrified mobility may have slowed down in recent months but remains to be an inevitable shift in the automotive industry. For Toyota, its first focus will be on hybrids rather than pure EVs and the carmaker plans to start making more of them in India from 2022.

Currently, Toyota offers two hybrids in India but both are high-value offerings: the Camry premium sedan and the Vellfire luxury MPV. Both are offered in a single variant, with the Camry Hybrid priced at Rs 37.88 lakh and the Vellfire at Rs 79.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, recently mentioned that Toyota’s hybrid architecture is common across electrified vehicles whether full hybrid or plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel or pure EV. "You'll see the hybrid cars come way down the line, closer to 2022. By 2025, I don't know how much of our portfolio might be non-hybrid and going towards smaller vehicles," he added.

Toyota has also partnered with Suzuki and Daihatsu to develop compact EVs. Meanwhile its alliance with Suzuki includes a focus on joint development of affordable EVs for the Indian market. The two are also setting up a lithium-ion battery plant in India as part of their partnership. Both Toyota and Suzuki will be sharing their hybrid tech as well. Maruti Suzuki has already been offering mild-hybrid powertrains in India with models like the Ciaz, Ertiga and Baleno. 

The 2022 timeline for Toyota hybrids in India will follow the plan of fellow Japanese carmaker Honda, which plans to introduce mass market hybrids here by 2021. In the meantime, other brands have decided to skip the hybrid stage and jump straight to pure EVs for India. There are currently three relatively long-range EVs on offer in India with a claimed range of over 300km: Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, all of which carry price tags under Rs 25 lakh ex-showroom.

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