Toyota takes all-hybrid plunge with RAV4

Japanese giant ends petrol-engine option

- CHESTER DAWSON NICHOLAS TAKAHASHI

Toyota Motor Corp is scrapping the petrol-powered version of its best-selling vehicle in the US as the Japanese carmaker doubles down on its push into hybrids.

The latest generation of the RAV4 compact crossover available later this year comes equipped with a standard or plug-in hybrid powertrain, dropping the petrol-powered option that makes up the bulk of current sales, the company said Tuesday. The move follows last year’s shift to an all-hybrid Camry sedan.

“The success overall that we've had with selling hybrids gave us complete confidence we could do it with this car too,” Mark Templin, Toyota Motor’s chief operating officer in the US, said of the new RAV4.

Toyota has long been sceptical on the industry push to go all-in on fully electric vehicles, opting instead for a multi-pronged approach that sees a place for hybrids, petrol-engine and even hydrogen-powered cars in its lineup. While the slow roll out of EVs left the carmaker open to criticism, the strategy has helped Toyota weather a cooling in demand for all-electric cars.