Demand for hybrid vehicles has slowly been on the rise for quite some time. In particular, Toyota models have fared well holding top sales spots across the board for hybrid vehicles. Toyota sells more hybrid vehicles than all other automakers combined. The company is not about to sit back and let others catch up, to the contrary, Toyota is constantly seeking ways to expand its hybrid sales.
One method for increasing sales is to reduce costs to the buyers. The method Toyota has followed for reducing costs is producing hybrid vehicles on location. For example, Toyota has expanded production of its Toyota Camry Hybrid by assembling the vehicle in Australia. This move allows the Camry Hybrid to be sold significantly cheaper to the Australian market. Now Toyota has more talks of expansion beginning with production of the Toyota Camry Hybrid at at GuangZhou Toyota factory in China.
GuangZhou Toyota was responsible for the production and sales of 209,000 cars in China last year and the number is expected to climb to 267,000 cars this year. Over one half of those vehicles are Camry's which come in at 170,000 units. Now, by adding a hybrid Camry to the mix, Toyota hopes to spark additional sales and increased volume.
The Chinese government has aggressively promoted "green" initiatives including tax credits and incentives for buying hybrid vehicles and Toyota is eager to take advantage. The Chinese Toyota division has additional plans to expand its retail operations to over 300 dealers nationwide. By producing the Camry Hybrid within China, Toyota will be able to offer a more affordable product and increased production capability will allow the automaker to meet increasing demand.
Source: GAC-Toyota
