Toyota’s GR range of performance vehicles will still be powered by combustion engines in 2030, according to one of the company’s senior Australian executives.
As reported by Drive.com.au, the news comes from comments made by Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia’s head of sales and marketing. Answering media questions at a Corolla Cross Hybrid launch event, Hanley was responding to an audience question about the automaker’s position on electric cars.
Hanley stated that Toyota was “not opposed” to electric vehicles, but reiterated that the company intended to offer a diverse range of products to meet customer needs, including hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles. “By 2030 every Toyota in our range, apart from GR performance cars, will have some form of electrification,” said Hanley.
The statement hints at the fact that Toyota may maintain combustion engine production for some time yet for the performance realm. While there are already performance EVs and hybrids on the market, Hanley’s comments suggest the automaker won’t be exploring that realm, by 2030 at least.
It’s a bold statement, and one that gives a surprising amount away in terms of Toyota’s long-term product planning. Eight years is a long time, but it’s conceivable that the current-model Supra and GR 86 could still be in production at that point. Alternatively, it could hint that Toyota has one more generation of ICE-powered sports cars planned for the future. However, with major markets like the EU exploring banning internal combustion engines as soon as 2035, it raises questions as to whether such an investment is worthwhile.
Where some automakers are rushing to abandon combustion engines entirely, Toyota is taking a more measured approach. Despite being such an early mover in the hybrid space, the company hasn’t taken the same big leap into EVs. For now, the company is charting a steady course, particularly where its performance models are concerned.
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