New EV models will be available by 2026 as part of a plan to phase out diesel and petrol sales.
The world’s biggest carmaker, Toyota, launched six new electric models to shift focus from its earlier bet on hydrogen as the future’s green fuel, as per The Telegraph.
Toyota to sell new plug-ins in Europe by 2026
By 2026, the automaker will sell the new plug-ins in Europe as part of a plan to comply with EU targets to phase out fuel sales by 2035.
The brand, known for its Prius hybrid, gave its efforts behind hydrogen when it released the Mirai in 2014, a family car with over 300 miles (482 km) range.
However, the fuel hasn’t enjoyed a wide uptake. Despite quicker refueling than for battery vehicles, hydrogen pumps are few, and the gas has been widely confined to buses and other vehicles returning to a base where they refuel daily.
For background, green hydrogen is produced by separating water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity from renewable sources like wind. This is an additional step when the same electricity can be used to charge a battery, making hydrogen a possibly more expensive solution.
UK’s electric car sales reached highest market share this year
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales of all-electric cars in the UK rose to their highest market share this 2022. Of all vehicles sold, just over one in five were battery-powered, the highest proportion since December last year.
Sales of all cars jumped by nearly a quarter last month, the fourth consecutive month of yearly growth, with plug-in vehicles, including hybrids amounting to more than one in four registrations.
Notably, buyers took home 142,889 cars last month, up from 115,706 a year ago.
However, registrations are still nearly 9% lower than pre-pandemic levels, with the SMMT warning that challenges will continue all through next year as the UK is held by the recession.
In addition, it renewed its warning that the slow growth of public charging points could hold back electric car purchases.
Recovery for Britain’s new car market is back within our grasp, energised by electrified vehicles and the sector’s resilience in the face of supply and economic challenges. As the sector looks to ensure that growth is sustainable for the long term, urgent measures are required – not least a fair approach to driving EV adoption that recognises these vehicles remain more expensive, and measures to compel investment in a charging network that is built ahead of need.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT
Tesla shipped 100,291 cars in China last month
On the other hand, data showed that deliveries from Tesla’s factory in Shanghai rose to a record last month after Elon Musk’s company set some marketing tactics and promotions in China.
Furthermore, Tesla shipped 100,291 cars in China in November, 71,704 in October, and nearly double the 52,859 vehicles delivered in the same month last year, says China’s Passenger Car Association.
