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The Toyota brand has long been aligned with
hybrid technology,
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which is why it wasn’t exactly surprising when
the company decided to ride out the
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all-electric wave by continuing to focus on its
hybrid electric line.
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It’s a move that’s paid off for the Japanese
automaker as hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid
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sales in the US combined to hit a record high
in the 3rd quarter of 2024,
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exceeding 12% of total light duty vehicle sales.
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Meanwhile, global sales hit their own records.
And with it has come something of an inventory
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problem for Toyota.
Reuters is reporting that Toyota’s hybrid
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models are in such high demand that parts
shortages have led to months-long delays or
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worse.
One buyer in India is said to have submitted
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his order for the regionally available Toyota
Enova High Cross SUV in January of 2023.
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After many delays, he was again told last month,
the vehicle.
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It would take months longer to arrive.
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The customer reportedly moved on.
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At issue, according to Reuters, are bottlenecks
in Toyota’s hybrid vehicle supply chain.
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They say a shortage of magnets supplied by
Toyota’s Ain Corp component manufacturer has
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triggered a hybrid motor delay, not to mention
inverters supplied by Denso,
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a manufacturer of which Toyota is the partial
owner, are reportedly being impacted by
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bottlenecks at its own tier.
2 and 3 suppliers.
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And while the example in India is perhaps an
outlier, Car Scoop says generally,
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2 to 9 months is the typical wait time there.
In Japan,
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they say Toyota hybrids take 2 to 5 months to
get, and in Europe,
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wait times have doubled since 2020 to an
average of 60 or 70 days.
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Toyota has downplayed the claim that it is
struggling to keep up with demand,
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saying that despite hybrid sales being up
significantly in all regions,
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The production capacity for hybrid parts and
components from its suppliers and its in-house
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parts manufacturing is in line with its annual
production plans and vehicle assembly capacity.
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According to car scoops, one change may at
least ease the supply crunch for US buyers.
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Toyota says it’s expanding operations in a
North Carolina plant and will begin shipping
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more batteries there this month, set to be used
in its range of electrified vehicles.
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I’m Anna Wells, and this is Manufacturing now.