Toyota leads new-energy auto sales in China

Shanghai, February 9 (Gasgoo.com) Toyota Motor has taken the lead in China's new-energy vehicle market, with its Lexus-brand hybrid series ranking the first by sales, SinoCast reported today.

The huge sales of hybrid Lexus cars are largely boosted by buyers' strong environmental awareness and the products' good performance, said a Lexus dealer in Guangzhou, south China. The LS600hL, GS450h, and RX450h hybrid products have accounted for more than 30% of all the Lexus models, according to Toyota China.

The hybrid Camry, a Toyota hybrid model whose sales rank the second in global hybrid markets, has been recognized technologically by the U.S. Its monthly sales goal in China stands at 1,000 units, said an executive of Guangzhou Toyota, a Chinese venture of the Japanese carmaker.

Currently, new-energy vehicles of 42 auto companies in China have been listed by the government for production, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Toyota's January sales in China rose 53% year-on-year to 72,000 vehicles. The growth came as its sales in the U.S. were hurt by a massive recall of vehicles and a sales halt due to problems with accelerator pads.

The company also announced on Jan. 28 a recall of locally-made 75,552 RAV4 SVUs in China because of the accelerator pads. Toyota has auto-making ventures in China with FAW Group and Guangzhou Auto.