Toyota Australia is taking a touring showroom of its six hybrid models around the country, starting in the tropical north of Townsville.
The hybrid showroom tour, Toyota says, has been as much about “dispelling myths” about the electric-combustion powertrains as it moved thought regional Australia.
The six-car tour started at the North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos game on Thursday night last week, and will makes its way to Victoria and Tasmania next month, including at dealerships.
Toyota tells AutoTalk some of the common misconceptions stem from old thinking about the hybrid powertrain’s operation.
A spokesperson says people think hybrids “need to be plugged-in to charge; they don’t need to be, they self-charge as you drive, (with) no infrastructure required.”
As well as explaining that hybrids “drive just like a normal car” Toyota also suggests a perception exists about stowage.
Centre: Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia.
“Some of the common myths we come across are that Toyota hybrids have less cargo/storage space because of the additional batteries,” Toyota says.
“No, they don’t have less space; they offer the same capacity as petrol equivalents as the battery is hidden underneath the rear seat.”
Vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley says Toyota’s hybrid on-field lap of the ground was “evidence of our commitment to supporting regional Australia with responsible and sustainable motoring solutions”.
“Our goal is to educate and demonstrate to regional communities just how valuable this technology can be to both the hip-pocket of motorists and also to protecting our environment, Hanley adds.
Toyota wants to have a “dedicated electrified model” – meaning parallel hybrid, plug-in hybrid, full battery-only or fuel cell electric vehicle – available on every model in its range. It aims for 50% of new vehicle sales to be electrified by 2030.
