Toyota South Africa (TSAM) has reshaped its roadmap for the domestic market in line with its parent company’s recent strategic realignment to new-energy vehicles (NEV).
As with the majority of automakers, TSAM’s new plans include a host of alternative energy sources for its vehicles, though like before, it’s not putting all its eggs in one basket and will diversify its local portfolio based on customer requirements.
A multi-pathway approach
Toyota is busy with a shift from being a car producer to becoming a mobility company. It’s currently in phase one of this endeavour which will see increased electrification, more intelligent vehicles, and a diversified product offering.
Alongside traditional internal combustion engines (ICE), the company at large has committed to a “multi-pathway approach” for its autos which will include six powertrain technologies namely:
- Battery-electric vehicles (BEV)
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV)
- Traditional hybrid vehicles (HEV)
- Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCEV)
- Hydrogen-ICE conversions (H2)
- Carbon-neutral e-fuel conversions (CN fuel)
In South Africa specifically, TSAM noted that individuals are looking for durable, reliable, and affordable vehicles – in contrast to Europe where styling and performance take precedence, or Japan where compact cars and mini-vans are at the top of shopping lists.
Additionally, with the scarcity of electricity on the African continent, it said BEVs won’t be a practical solution yet for local consumers.
In line with these findings, TSAM is expanding its PHEV range in the domestic market in the coming years with as many as three new models, comprising the RAV4 PHEV and the Lexus NX and RX, as it believes this propulsion technology is “the way to go for South Africa.”
The main benefit of the plug-in configuration is the fact that it can be wholly operated as a BEV for the majority of in-town commutes, but when the urge hits, it can still be used as a long-distance vehicle without the fear of being stuck without a charging port on your journey.
With battery research and development (R&D) making significant strides in recent times, TSAM said that the all-electric range of its PHEVs is set to surpass 200km over the next few years which will make them an extremely attractive option for forward-looking customers.
The biggest hurdle standing in the way of immediate PHEV introductions is price, however.
Since buyers are essentially paying for two motors instead of one, PHEVs are still wildly expensive and TSAM said it actively has a team trying to figure out where it can shave off a few rands to make the price tag just right.
Following the introduction of other traditional and mild-hybrid models such as the Corolla, Corolla Crossand RAV4 in recent years, local Toyota buyers have also shown an affinity for smaller vehicles with HEV powertrains.
With this in mind, TSAM is taking significant steps to strengthen its HEV line-up and alongside the PHEV introductions, there are several traditional-hybrid cars on their way that fall into the various compact car segments.
The first of these is the Crown which will be followed by another five models, one of which is expected to be an HEV variant of the new Urban Cruiser.
Mild-hybrid options for the popular Fortuner and best-selling Hilux are on their way, too, and will reach local dealers as soon as “next year.”
Alongside the expanded selection, these battery-incentivised cars will also become a lot more “cost competitive” than they currently are due to the combination of lower R&D costs and the sheer volume of them that TSAM is capable of selling, said the subsidiary.
Of course, a fully-electric, battery-powered model is on its way in the form of the bZ4Xalthough it’s only expected to reach our roads in 2025 and beyond.
Similarly, the FCEV Mirai is also being used to conduct feasibility studies for the domestic market, but no launch date for this sedan has been set in stone, yet.
By 2026, the local arm of Toyota plans to have 40% of its passenger car sales consist of NEV models with a ratio of three HEVs for one BEV, which is expected to cut its carbon footprint by 40%.
This new approach to diversification means there will be much more opportunities for customers to get into a new Toyota or Lexus going forward.
TSAM said in the future, it will become possible for owners to take their petrol and diesel cars to dealers and convert them to run on hydrogen or carbon-neutral e-fuels so that they won’t have to sell them and buy another NEV they don’t particularly want.
Moreover, in two years’ time, it said it will expand a select few products including the Hiace mini-bus to suit a much wider range of use cases, and that it will increase conversions and accessories for “normal products.”
The company didn’t specify what these conversions and accessories will be exactly, only that they will “take the market by storm.”
Finally, TSAM’s upcoming range of products will all be “intelligent vehicles” with next-generation operating systems.
This will allow owners to limit and adjust things like speed and power – depending on who’s driving the car or what they want to use it for – and renew the vehicle’s software through over-the-air updates without going into the dealership so that they always have the latest features at their fingertips.
