Why So Low In The Sales Ranking?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I respect your views and trust what you say, but I do wonder if there are two camps in Toyota HQ? Or maybe even Toyota UK and Toyota Europe HQ?

The crazy price of the PIP and Prius+ sum it up. The PIP is selling like hot cakes in the US and not just for the HOV sales. The PIP over there was less than the base Prius once their $7,500 rebate was taken into account. Toyota UK chose to sell the PIP as a premium car despite the £5,000 grant and have sold less than a thousand. If as you say Toyota were serious about selling more cars, then they'd have priced the PIP as it should have been, remove the £5,000 grant and have a cracker.

So whilst you say they want to reach 5% market share and you guys have the hard job of shifting cars and meeting targets, I think the folk who price the cars are being unrealistic, probably isolated in their own little bubble. The PIP was such a missed opportunity and I fear it's set Toyota back. Just look at the Mitsubishi Outlander plug in; less than the PIP for so much more, and they really are selling like hot cakes. They've taken your lead, grabbed the ball out of your hands.

IMHO

[FROSTYBALLS]

Comparing the list prices of the Prius Plug In and the Mitsubishi Outlahder PHEV, they start at £28,395 and £28,249 respectively, including the £5,000 grant.

Good to see the Mitsubishi uses GKN's new Multi Mode e-transmission.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

On my last check iirc GC they've sold over 1k PiP's, certainly according to how many left.

Its a premium car, so be it, Toyota will have their reasons for marketing it as they have in the UK. There is a lot more than it seems to it when it comes down to vehicle market and spec placement etc.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

On my last check iirc GC they've sold over 1k PiP's, certainly according to how many left.

Its a premium car, so be it, Toyota will have their reasons for marketing it as they have in the UK. There is a lot more than it seems to it when it comes down to vehicle market and spec placement etc.

And in two or three years we'll know if the money they've been paying for marketing in the UK has been worth it, or not.

[Heidfirst]

" The PIP is selling like hot cakes in the US and not just for the HOV sales."

The latest (admittedly from May) figures that I found showed that Toyota had sold just under 6,000 PiPs in the States in the previous 12 months.

In a country with 3 times the population & more auto oriented - I wouldn't call that "selling like hot cakes" (for ref. Ford sold 60,000 F150s in September 2014 alone, Toyota 28.5k Camrys).

Btw I note that the latest figures show the whole VW group as having ~a 25% European market share - & yet as pointed out earlier their profits are nothing like Toyota's.

Japanese businesses are also famous for taking the long term view whereas US/European tend to look at shorter cycles.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

" The PIP is selling like hot cakes in the US and not just for the HOV sales."

The latest (admittedly from May) figures that I found showed that Toyota had sold just under 6,000 PiPs in the States in the previous 12 months.

In a country with 3 times the population & more auto oriented - I wouldn't call that "selling like hot cakes" (for ref. Ford sold 60,000 F150s in September 2014 alone, Toyota 28.5k Camrys).

Btw I note that the latest figures show the whole VW group as having ~a 25% European market share - & yet as pointed out earlier their profits are nothing like Toyota's.

Japanese businesses are also famous for taking the long term view whereas US/European tend to look at shorter cycles.

But compare the sales like for like with the UK population? Or maybe just count the Californian population against the UK and sales are much higher. And this is in a country where petrol costs $3 a GALLON and often less. (a US gallon is smaller than ours but still 3.5 litres).

[Heidfirst]

Yes, it's a bit better than the UK (not massively so though, about 1.7x) but I imagine that local State regulations/taxation may strongly influence that (e.g. California) as no doubt the London congestion charge has an effect on cars there.

[FROSTYBALLS]

I've seen an article recently in either Autocar or Auto Express, where the profit margin on their mainstream models (Polo, Golf, etc) is approx 2%. They are looking to increase this - which will probably mean higher prices for the consumer

[stompe]

Or cost cutting! more like.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Yes, it's a bit better than the UK (not massively so though, about 1.7x) but I imagine that local State regulations/taxation may strongly influence that (e.g. California) as no doubt the London congestion charge has an effect on cars there.

My ten peneth worth is that people focus on the LCCZ too much for BEV's or Plug Ins. I wonder if it's because the marketing company is in central London that they think the PIP would be ideal THERE and price it accordingly. But you and I both know that a PIP is a nice car and would work absolutely fabulously in either Lanarkshire or Yorkshire too.

Nissan made that mistake at first when they released the Leaf, but are now trying to advertise that car on its merits rather than focusing on saving a minority of the population a couple grand a year should they drive into London. Toyota aimed the original Prius on its CCZ savings but plenty are owned outside of the great smog.