Toyota New Zealand is celebrating 35 years as the dominant car brand in New Zealand’s automotive market and has reported strong growth in both Toyota and Lexus new vehicle sales and sustainability developments in 2022.
In 2022, Toyota New Zealand became the first automotive company in New Zealand to include lifecycle emissions from vehicles sold in its targets, which account for 86% of Toyota’s annual direct and indirect emissions.
The emissions targets were intertwined with the release of Toyota’s Let’s Go Places brand vision: which focuses on three pathways; environmental sustainability, mobility for all, and community service.
Toyota New Zealand chief executive Neeraj Lala says the company’s commitment to reduce its total emissions by a minimum of 46% of 2019 levels by 2030, including the lifetime tailpipe emissions from all new and used vehicles sold by Toyota New Zealand, was unprecedented amongst local vehicle retailers.
Toyota New Zealand has also committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.
He says Let’s Go Places represents Toyota New Zealand’s long-term vision as a mobility company, and headway was being made on each of the pathways.
Lala says the company’s aspirations were illustrated in the launch of its Hydrogen Project, which sees a fleet of hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai shared by nine Auckland-based Kiwi companies, the company’s investment in the CityHop car sharing service, and its Waka Aronui community-based car leasing scheme, which sees 20 families each leasing a low-emitting hybrid Toyota Corolla wagon for a set fee of $95 per week.
The company is also making steps towards a circular economy and had collected and recycled more than 900 hybrid vehicle batteries during 2022.
“We’re immensely proud of our achievements this year. Toyota has been and continues to lead the market when it comes to electrifying vehicles. In fact, 67% of the passenger vehicles we offer today in NZ have an electrified option, and 36% of our 2022 sales were hybrids,” he says.
Lala says the arrival of the battery electric bZ4X SUV in 2023 will further reduce the company’s average emissions.
Strong growth in hybrid sales
Toyota New Zealand sold 28,727 vehicles during the 2022, 36% of which were electrified.
“We have passed the tipping point of positive customer sentiment towards hybrid-electric options, and it is telling that one of our top selling vehicles was the RAV4 hybrid,” Toyota New Zealand new vehicle general manager Steve Prangnell says.
“Our customers benefit further by being able to receive a Clean Car Discount from the Government for them.
In 2022 Toyota New Zealand announced the introduction of the hybrid Corolla Cross range. That wasn’t the only change to the Corolla line-up, as of the end of 2022 all new Toyota Corolla hatch, sedan, and wagon models sold in NZ will utilise a hybrid-electric powertrain
“Our most popular vehicle for 2022 was the Hilux with 9,787 units sold. We look forward to building on this momentum and achieving even greater success in the future,” Prangnell says.
Record 2022 for Lexus
Lexus New Zealand has surpassed its previous sales record of 1,005 new car sales in 2021, with 1,020 vehicles sold across its range in 2022, and a significant number of orders placed for 2023 thanks to the popular Lexus electrified range.
The luxury brand, which has been operating in New Zealand since 1992, is quickly becoming known for delivering high performing vehicles powered by low carbon-emitting hybrid technology.
Lexus sales in 2022 reflect the discerning drivers’ desire for the best of both worlds – a premium, beautifully crafted vehicle with strong sustainable credentials. Across the range, 82 per cent of Lexus sales were either battery electric (UX300e), Plug-in hybrid (NX450h+) or hybrid electrified.
Lexus New Zealand General Manager, Andrew Davis says Lexus is on a journey to both increase Lexus sales and importantly work towards carbon neutrality through a varied portfolio of sustainable powertrain options for customers.
“During 2022, we have seen a growing shift in customer demand for Lexus Electrified products, especially with the arrival of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and Battery electric (BEV) marques.
“With this success, we are now turning our attention towards a carbon-neutral future. By 2050, Lexus aims to achieve carbon neutrality throughout the lifecycle of the entire model line-up – from the manufacturing of materials, parts, vehicles to vehicle logistics, to the final disposal and recycling of older vehicles,” he says.
Carbon emissions for vehicles is measured in terms of grams of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre. Across the Lexus portfolio, carbon emissions were 121/g per km for the 2022 calendar year. This was a decrease on the previous year of 157/g per km.
The highest selling Lexus marque in 2022 was the Lexus UX with 309 vehicles sold, 177 of which were UX BEVs and 132 UX HEVs.
