8 Million Toyota Hybrids Sold

[FROSTYBALLS]

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-has-now-sold-eight-million-hybrid-cars

[YarisHybrid2016]

I don't know why they aren't more popular!! I must say last year when I first started shopping around, the main dealer didn't do a very good job selling the hybrid technology. It was presented as more of a different kind of gearbox than a radically different approach to the drivetrain.

Once I got researching exactly what a hybrid was and how it worked, every other car looked medieval.

Toyota could definitely do a better job selling these vehicles I think!

[johalareewi]

It was presented as more of a different kind of gearbox than a radically different approach to the drivetrain.

The non Prius models certainly take this approach.

I guess many customers are not excited about new technology and think driving a hybrid is difficult.

I know a lot of people who say they couldn't drive an automatic but they can drive a manual (none of them are American!).

[cootuk]

People are afraid of the unknown, and still too many think it needs to be plugged in overnight.

Then there are the fake horror stories of new batteries every five years at £££.

If it wasn't for company tax incentives/congestion charge exemption then maybe very few would have been sold.

[YarisHybrid2016]

Environmental benefits aside, it is so much simpler than traditional gearbox/clutch arrangements. I see it the same way as the move from steam power to internal combustion. The drivetrain has what, 11 moving parts, and 3 of those are reduction gears/final drive!