Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia's sales and marketing director: "I truly believe plug-in hybrids will grow even faster over the next five years."

January 1, 2035, is the day the European Union has set for the ban on the sale of new internal combustion cars . A date that has been marked on the calendars of manufacturers for years , yet they remain reluctant to abandon combustion engines . And this isn't unique to Europe. Australia has a similar timeline to the EU's, and manufacturers are reluctant to accept it .

And we're not talking about just any brand, but one as powerful as Toyota . In an interview with Australian outlet Drive , Toyota Australia's sales and marketing director, Sean Hanley, acknowledges that the near future is driven by hybrids rather than 100% electrics : "I sincerely believe that plug-in hybrids are going to grow faster in the next five years. It's happening now, but it's going to grow much more ," says the executive.

This doesn't mean that the purely electric car market will continue to grow , even in the opposite direction. But not at the desired pace, as is the case in Europe : "Electric vehicles will also grow within reason during this time, but hybrids will be the winners . Electric vehicles will be a close second , while hybrids will continue to grow," reflects Sean Hanley.

With that in mind, Toyota is going to expand its range of plug-in hybrids in Australia. A strategy that is more than likely to be replicated in other parts of the world, including Europe: "I think people will switch from electric to hybrid. I think that's what will happen, so PHEVs will continue to outperform electrics over time," the Toyota executive reasons. And although Toyota plans to introduce six new electric models in Europe by the end of 2026, the brand currently sells up to 10 hybrids and only two electrics (not counting commercial vehicles) in Spain.

So Toyota's strategy doesn't look like it's going to change in the coming years. The market remains volatile , but Sean Hanley answers the question, 'Why choose a hybrid?': “It's interesting. If you had asked me five years ago, before COVID... 'Did I see plug-in hybrids as the future at that point?' My answer would have been no. What's changed? Battery technology is better. Plug-in hybrids offer a pretty decent range, between 80 and 100 km,” Hanley highlights.

Electric vehicles aren't a priority for Toyota these days, and their global sales figures prove them right. Adding together sales across all its brands—such as Lexus and Daihatsu —Toyota reached 5.1 million vehicles sold in the first half of 2025. And nearly half of them were hybrids . That seems like enough reason to continue like this.