The company sold 43% more such vehicles than it did back in 2012

Mar 5, 2014 21:01 GMT  ·  By

By the looks of it, the Toyota Motor Corporation had a whale of a time in 2013, at least as far as its sales of hybrid vehicles to European customers are concerned.

Not to beat about the bush, the Japanese automotive manufacturer has announced that, according to recent reports, the company's European sales of hybrid cars reached an all-time high in 2013.

More precisely, the company managed to pair 156,863 such environmentally friendly cars with new owners. The automotive manufacturer claims that these record sales represent a 43% increase when compared to 2012.

“European Toyota and Lexus sales of hybrid vehicles reached an all-time high in 2013 totaling 156,863 units, up 43% year-on-year,” the company writes on its website.

It further details that, for the time being, hybrid models account for nearly one fifth of its overall sales, including the ones reported in countries that are not members of the European Union.

What's more, it would appear that 28% of all Toyota and Lexus models sold in Western Europe are hybrid models, Green Car Congress reports.

Commenting on this impressive increase in its European sales of hybrid vehicles, the Toyota Motor Corporation said that, “The success of Hybrid is driven by its excellent cost-of-ownership, thanks to lower fuel-bills and better CO2 ratings.”

“But there is more than that: an increasing number of drivers is discovering the comfort and serenity that a petrol-hybrid powertrain delivers, allowing them to escape the stress of today’s traffic,” it further argued.

What's interesting is that, apart from selling a record number of eco-friendly cars in Europe in 2013, the Toyota Motor Corporation has also taken steps towards upping the production rates of such cars in this part of the world.

Specifically, the Japanese automotive manufacturer says that, in said year, it managed to nearly double hybrid vehicle production in Europe.

“Today, Toyota is not only by far the clear leader for hybrid sales in Europe, it is also the first European hybrid manufacturer,” the company writes.

Furthermore, “Hybrid vehicle production for Toyota in Europe has doubled to reach a record 116,383 units produced at the company’s manufacturing facilities in France (Yaris Hybrid) and in the United Kingdom (Auris Hybrid and Auris Hybrid Touring Sports).”

All in all, Toyota Motor Europe sold 847,549 vehicles in 2013, which is about 9,569 units more than it did back in 2012. The company argues that this increase in sales was largely due to how popular its hybrid models appear to have become.