Diesel not dead yet: Toyota
BY MATT CAMPBELL | 19th Mar 2024
DIESEL is not dead yet, according to Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley, who told GoAuto at the launch of the C-HR small SUV that recent reports claiming he had announced the doomsday of diesel had been overblown.
Mr Hanley said he recognises and completely understands the importance of that fuel type in Australia, with a number of the company’s big-selling models – the HiLux and all models bearing the LandCruiser brand – relying on diesel.
In fact, Mr Hanley suggested that there is a chance that, as a means of extending the life of diesel engines into a next generation model range, plug-in hybrid technology may need to be applied to significantly reduce emissions.
“Potentially,” said Mr Hanley of PHEV versions of diesel models in future. “Diesel has a long way to go. It's not gonna be gone anytime soon.
“There may be a time where other technologies are applied to diesel,” he said. “I'd like to go on the record as saying it's not dead, but in the fullness of time, it will be examined carefully.
“But we've definitely got to find ways to decarbonise it, in its application,” he said.
The Toyota HiLux, which is the brand’s best-selling model, currently has petrol and diesel models on offer, and is soon to see a form of electrification applied – a 48-volt “Assist” function, which the brand refuses to call “mild-hybrid” as many other marques market such systems.
Mr Hanley also stated that, in his mind, a PHEV would need to offer “200 kilometres” of electric driving range to suit the needs and requirements of customers in the Australiam market.
In theory, that could help the brand extend the life of diesel-dominated ute and SUV models, while still retaining the possibility of offering a maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg, and without the requirement to stop and recharge after a few hundred kilometres of driving.
A lot of these discussions and concerns are coming on the back of extended discussions around the Australian government’s proposed New Vehicle Emissions Scheme, which Toyota has outwardly criticised due to its heavy focus on EVs, but not the work already done on hybrids – not to mention a lack of consideration for rural and regional buyers.
“NVES, depending on how it comes out, could have a profound impact in the later part of this year,” said Mr Hanley.
“I’m not thinking massive. In the fullness of the program that we understand today, of the policy, it will have a profound impact on the Australian car market.
Mr Hanley has been criticised by lobby groups in the past for labelling EVs as “impractical” for some Australians, and has repeatedly asked rhetorical questions that speak to mainstream Australia, such as: “What battery electric vehicle do we have right now on sale in Australia that can tow 2.5 tonnes for 600km? We don’t. It just doesn’t exist.”
Mr Hanley suggested to GoAuto that PHEV technology could work to appease the requirements of buyers who want to go off-road and/or tow, while also helping reduce real-world emissions.
“As battery technology evolves, and you get better range on EV only from a plug-in hybrid, I think that’s a credible option – particularly for Australian conditions. So I do see plug-in hybrids being a significant part of the industry over the next five years,” he said.
