‘Self-charging’ Toyota riles EV advocates

This story first appeared in the March issue of Evtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Toyota New Zealand’s advertisements describing its Corolla variant as a “self-charging hybrid electric” sparked a battle over semantics.

Justin Boyd from the Electric Vehicle Association of Aotearoa sent a Facebook post to Toyota New Zealand asking it to change its post text referring to the phrase.

“The Corolla is a hybrid vehicle – electric should not be used anywhere in the marketing or referencing for this type of vehicle,” he says.

Boyd says the Corolla hybrid is not a plug-in hybrid and it is not a full battery electric vehicle.

“NZTA and EECA Energywise are very clear that ‘electric vehicles are those which are able to be powered by a battery which is charged by connecting to an external source of electricity’,” he says.

“This post sends a misleading message to the public about what you are selling and could be deemed a breach of the advertising standards.
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But Toyota New Zealand says it’s quite entitled to use the term “self-charging hybrid electric” when referring to its hybrid range of vehicles.

“This is to not only differentiate from plug-in electric vehicles, but it also provides a better understanding as to how the technology works.

We are not aware of any negative sentiment towards the term,” Toyota New Zealand executive general manager Neeraj Lala says.

Toyota is more renowned for its Prius hybrid range, which includes a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

The difference between a PHEV and a standard hybrid is that the latter uses an internal combustion engine (ICE) to charge up the electric motor, rather than using an external power source (plug).

The Prius has an EV mode for electric-only low-speed operation, Eco mode for best fuel efficiency, and Power mode for better performance.

Toyota does have an all-electric car, its Mirai sedan powered by a hydrogen fuel cell rather than batteries.

By 2025, the automotive manufacturer aims to have every Toyota and Lexus model available as a dedicated electrified vehicle, or it will have an electrified option available.

Toyota plans to launch its new RAV4 in New Zealand in 2019 as its first SUV offering with “self-charging electric hybrid technology”.

Lala says the 2019 RAV4 hybrid will have the same towing capabilities as its petrol variants.

Boyd adds another reason he is seeking more clarity around the use of the key word “electric” is that people might be confused into thinking they’re buying a plug-in vehicle which may qualify for any eventual EV incentives.

“Buying a hybrid is a step in the right direction, but people could be confused in this case and think they’re buying something that’s not quite what they expect.
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Among the many Facebook posts about the issue is one suggesting the Corolla hybrid should more properly be called a “petrol-electric”.