Non-rental Toyota RAV4 buyers choose the plug-in by more than two to one
Words: Richard Edwards
Buyers outside the rental fleets have chosen Toyota’s plug-in hybrid RAV4 over the conventional hybrid by more than two to one since the PHEV arrived in volume in May, according to NZTA registration data.
From May to September, 2,119 new RAV4 PHEVs were registered for non-rental use, against 897 hybrids. That gives the plug-in 70 per cent of non-rental RAV4 registrations over the five months.
The plug-in’s share has grown. In August and September, non-rental buyers registered 835 PHEVs and 134 hybrids, putting the plug-in at 86 per cent.
Rental companies took the hybrid. They registered 717 new RAV4s in August and September, and all but one were hybrids. That volume put the hybrid back ahead on total RAV4 registrations in September, at 451 units to the PHEV’s 352.
Across all buyers, including rental, 2,120 RAV4 PHEVs and 1,614 hybrids were registered from May to September.
| Month | Hybrid non-rental | Hybrid rental | PHEV non-rental | PHEV rental |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 302 | 0 | 229 | 0 |
| June | 277 | 0 | 542 | 0 |
| July | 184 | 0 | 513 | 0 |
| August | 84 | 316 | 484 | 0 |
| September | 50 | 401 | 351 | 1 |
| Total | 897 | 717 | 2,119 | 1 |
Used imports went the other way. From May to September, 227 used RAV4 hybrids were registered, against 64 PHEVs and 11 petrol-only models.
Speaking on the sales split between the hybrid and plug-in hybrid RAV4 models, a spokesperson from Toyota New Zealand said:
“Toyota’s multi-pathway approach is about providing practical solutions that meet customers where they are on their electrification journey.
“The RAV4 Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid each play an important role, offering different benefits depending on how people use their vehicles.
“It’s great to see customers embracing the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and making the most of its ability to complete many everyday journeys using electric driving alone, while retaining the flexibility of a hybrid system for longer trips.”
Registration figures are from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) motor vehicle registration data, analysed by AutoTalk. They count vehicles registered in New Zealand for the first time in the month. “New” means vehicles never registered anywhere before; “used” means used imports registered here for the first time. NZTA sometimes corrects its records after a month closes, so figures may differ slightly from those published earlier. Rental figures are vehicles NZTA records as rental use.
