Japan’s Hybrid-Vehicle Makers Headed for Record Year

TOKYO – Toyota continued to grow its hybrid business during the first six months of 2017 with global sales increasing to 768,000 units, up 8.4% year-over-year, putting both the automaker and Japanese industry on a trajectory to pass last year’s record totals.

In 2016, the automaker sold 1.4 million hybrids globally. It is on track to sell 1.5 million units this year while all Japanese OEMs, mostly Toyota and Honda, are primed to reach 1.8 million, up from 1.6 million.

Included in the January-June total were 40,299 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, all Toyota and Mitsubishi models. Excluded were an estimated 35,500 all-electric cars, mostly Nissan Leafs.

Slightly more than half of industry sales, more than 466,000 units, were outside Japan.

Following Toyota in hybrid sales was Honda, which reported first-half sales of 125,132 units, up 18%. Mitsubishi is believed to rank third at 13,193, all Outlander PHEV, followed by Nissan, which does not release global sales totals.

Nissan, which has focused on all-electric technology since launching the Leaf in December 2010, confirms sales of about 9,000 units in Japan including 8,000 Tribute hybrids and 1,000 Cima and Fuga models. The rear-drive Cima and Fuga are sold in limited volumes overseas as the Infiniti Q70L and Infiniti Q50.

Both the X-Trail and new Rogue hybrids are front-drive models.

According to WardsAuto data, Nissan sold 818 Rogue hybrids in the U.S. between January and June. Nissan Canada and Nissan Motor Mfg. (UK) report the Rogue hybrid has not yet been introduced to the Canadian and European markets.

Meanwhile, an estimated 55% of Toyota and Lexus hybrids sold during the period were outside Japan. Of total hybrid sales by the automaker, 9.4% were Lexuses. An estimated 10% were produced outside Japan.

Toyota sold no EVs.

Included in the automaker’s overseas total were models produced in France, the U.K and half a dozen other countries.

All Yaris and Auris hybrids, for instance, were manufactured at Toyota Motor Mfg. France and Toyota Motor Mfg. (UK). The 6-month totals for the Yaris and Auris hybrids were 64,774 and 46,393 units, respectively.

In the case of Honda, which produces the NSX hybrid in the U.S., the overseas market accounted for 19.5% of sales.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Prius again was the top-selling hybrid model, although barely as sales fell 46.4% from January-June 2016 to 116,695. The CH-R SUV was a close second.

In total, Toyota sells 37 hybrids including 10 Lexus models. The top-selling Lexus hybrid was the NX300h.

The Prius Prime second generation of Toyota’s Prius PHEV was the segment’s best seller, passing Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV. Toyota sold 27,106 Prius Primes, twice as many as the 13,193 Outlanders.

Toyota sold 1,157 Mirai hydrogen-fuel-cell cars during the year’s first half.

In the electric-vehicle segment, Nissan again was the leader, reporting sales of 35,000 units. Of the total, 7,170 were in Japan. Most were Leafs.

Mitsubishi, the only other Japanese automaker to produce an EV, sold 568 units of the i-MiEV.