Adoption of electrified vehicles accelerates toward achieving carbon neutral mobility

MANILA, Philippines — The shift to various forms of electrified vehicles (xEVs) is rapidly accelerating in the Philippines, with the industry seeing the fastest adoption rates yet since the very first hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) was introduced commercially in the country in 2009. 

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP), whose groundbreaking HEV Prius pioneered the electrification movement, is leading this shift with 95% of xEV users in the Philippines today driving an electrified model from its Toyota and Lexus lines. 

Based on the recent official figures from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI), as of end of June 2022, there are already 1,013 total xEVs sold in the market, surpassing the 2021 total volume of 843 and 2020's 378. A total of 962 of the 2022 year-to-date sales are Toyota and Lexus models. 

Toyota and Lexus offer the widest range of HEVs in the country today with multiple variants across 10 models: Toyota's Corolla Altis, Corolla Cross, Prius, Camry and RAV 4 plus Lexus' IS, ES, LS, NX and RX. 

Toyota believes in multiple pathways towards gaining speed and scale in achieving carbon neutrality. 

Globally, the company offers a wide range of xEVs including HEVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV) and hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). These are being rolled out to different regions based on the readiness of the market and infrastructure to power these vehicles with clean energy.

To date, Toyota and Lexus have sold more than 20 million units of their electrified models around the world helping reduce CO2 emissions by more than 160 million metric tons.

Road to carbon neutrality 

TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto welcomes this development as a good sign that the Philippines will soon be making significant contributions to one of the ultimate global goals of vehicle electrification, which is carbon neutrality or net-zero carbon dioxide emissions in transportation. 

"The positive impact of xEVs can only be observed once we achieve widescale adoption of these vehicles. The exponential growth and the rate of new xEV model introductions in the country are providing Filipino customers more options and easier access to greener technologies,” Okamoto said.

“We are optimistic that we can experience the environmental benefits of electrified vehicles with Toyota taking the lead while always ensuring ‘Mobility for All’ where “no one is left behind," he added. 

TMP's range of HEVs is positioned to offer a realistic positive impact on the environment, by way of wider mainstream adoption through easier and more affordable access to the technology.

HEVs are also appropriate at this time, as they do not rely on charging from fossil-based power sources but instead generate their own power through self-charging systems. 

“Our HEVs are gaining wider acceptance and usage in the country, and this started when we launched the Corolla HEV models. One of the electrified variant nameplates our customers are already familiar with (Corolla Altis) and the other is a competitively priced HEV in an in-demand crossover form (Corolla Cross). Additionally, we have been making ownership of electrified vehicles more attractive with incentives like the extended 8-year battery warranty,” Okamoto said.  

“Looking towards the future, we hope to further expand our xEV line-up and offer more choices for the Philippine market. This is in line with Toyota’s challenge of achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 and continuing our pioneering role in environmental leadership towards all of society,” he concluded.