The 2024 election

Toyota maintained its title as the world’s top-selling automaker, with nearly 11 million vehicles sold in 2024. However, EV sales accounted for about 1% of Toyota’s global volume as it continued to lag the industry. With rivals like BYD and Hyundai closing in, how long can Toyota keep its spot at the top?

Toyota EV sales continued lagging in 2024 at only 1%

Toyota held onto the title for the fifth straight year after selling over 10.8 million vehicles in 2024. That includes its Daihatsu (compact cars), Hino (heavy-duty trucks and buses), and luxury Lexus brands.

Although it was enough to stay ahead of Volkswagen, which sold just over 9 million vehicles last year (-2.3% from 2023), Toyota’s global sales slipped for the first time in two years. The Japanese auto giant’s sales fell 3.7% from the roughly 11.2 million vehicles sold in 2023.

Toyota and Lexus brand sales were down 1.4% from 2023, at about 10.1 million units, also the first year-over-year decline in two years.

The lower total was mostly due to a 20% drop in domestic sales. Incorrect vehicle certifications caused Toyota to halt production of the popular Prius, Yaris Cross, and Corolla Fielder models.

Overseas sales helped offset the fallout with higher demand in North America and India. In other key markets, like China (-6.9%), Indonesia (-9.5%), and Thailand (-17.1%), Toyota said “the shift to new energy vehicles” and an “intensifying price competition” caused the lower sales total.

Despite hybrids reaching a record 40% share in 2024, Toyota’s EV sales lagged the industry. Last year, Toyota, including Lexus, sold just 139,892 pure EV models, accounting for just 1.4% of sales.

Volkswagen sold nearly 745,000 electric vehicles last year, or around 8% of sales, which is still on the lower end. And that’s down 3.4% from the 771,100 VW delivered in 2023.

While the two global auto leaders continue to lag in the shift to electric vehicles, others, such as BYD and Hyundai, are emerging as true global threats.

BYD outsold Nissan and Honda for the first time last year, with over 4.25 million passenger vehicles sold, up 41% from around 3 million in 2023. The Chinese EV leader surpassed Volkswagen in 2023 to become China’s largest car maker, and now it’s moving up the global ranks.

Hyundai Motor Group, the third top-selling automaker globally, sold over 7.2 million vehicles last year. Although sales were down 1% from 2023, Hyundai is closing the gap with Toyota and Volkswagen. The Hyundai and Kia brands both sold over 200,000 electric cars globally last year for an around.

Hyundai and Kia are launching several new EVs in key segments that are expected to see significant demand, including the three-row IONIQ 9 and low-cost Kia EV3 and Hyundai Inster SUVs.

Electrek’s Take

With new threats emerging, how long will Toyota hold onto the global sales lead? BYD is aggressively expanding overseas this year, with electric cars rolling out across nearly every segment, including entry-level pickup trucks, smart SUVs, luxury models, and electric supercars.

BYD sold more EVs in Japan than Toyota last year, its home market, and 2024 was BYD’s first full sales year in the country.

Hyundai is also preparing for a big year in 2025 with the updated 2025 IONIQ 5, IONIQ 9, and Inster EV arriving. Kia expects sales growth this year with the low-cost EV3 rolling out globally. Later this year, it will unveil the EV4, its highly anticipated entry-level electric sedan.

Meanwhile, Toyota continues delaying new EV launches and other major projects. Its long-awaited ultra-efficient EVs, expected next year, will not arrive until at least mid-2027.

With the industry moving toward all-electric vehicles, how long can Toyota delay the inevitable? As EV technology advances, hybrids will only be in style for much longer.

If it sounded too good to be true, that’s because it was. A proposal made last year to double the allowable power limit of electric bicycles in the UK was canceled after pushback on the plan.

Current laws in the UK are similar to those throughout most of Europe, limiting electric bicycles to 250 watts (1/3 hp) and 25 km/h (15.5 mph) of top speed.

A proposal put forth by the Conservatives would have seen that power limit doubled to 500W in the UK, and potentially also allowed for the use of a hand throttle, according to Bike Radar.

After the Department for Transport began a public consultation to assess public opinion, it became clear that while the general public had mixed feelings, most bicycling organizations were largely in favor of keeping the existing regulations unchanged.

“While the difference between the overall number of respondents being in favour and those not in favour was relatively small, this was not the case with main stakeholder organisations, with the vast majority opposing the proposals,” the Department for Transport explained. 

While European electric bicycle laws are relatively strict, limiting electric bicycle motors to less power than a healthy adult can generate with their own legs, North American e-bike laws are generally less restrictive.

In Canada, electric bicycles can support up to 500W of power and feature hand throttles that allow the e-bikes to be powered even without pedaling. In the US, the vast majority of states have adopted the three-class system, which allows all electric bicycles to support motors of up to 750W of power, or three times the European limit. Hand throttles are also allowed on some electric bikes, but the specifics can vary from state to state. The subject of speed, as well as hand throttles on e-bikes, has become a contentious subject in the US with increased regulatory activity.

In much of Europe, bicycles and e-bikes are seen as more integrated members of the larger public transportation system. In North America, cities are much more car-centric and often even hostile to cyclists.

While not all European cyclists enjoy the utopia of Amsterdam’s bicycle-friendly streets, most European cities are more likely to feature better-developed cycling infrastructure that lets cyclists safely travel at slower speeds. Conversely, many American riders feel that higher speeds and motor power levels are essential for their safety when sharing the roads with cars, as higher performance allows riders to better pace existing vehicle traffic.

Regulations don’t just dictate how powerful an e-bike can be, but rather they can also shape how e-bikes are used in daily life. In Europe, where most e-bikes are capped at 250W and 25 km/h (15 mph), more emphasis is placed on pedal-assisted cycling, encouraging active riding while offering a boost for longer trips.

Many cities in Europe have extensive bike lane networks that accommodate e-bikes alongside traditional bicycles, reinforcing the idea that e-bikes are simply a modernized version of cycling rather than a separate vehicle class.

In North America, where 750W e-bikes are common and Class 3 e-bikes can reach 28 mph (45 km/h), the riding experience can sometimes be closer to that of a moped. While many riders enjoy this broader freedom, it has caused friction in many cities who seek to rein in higher performance electric bikes.

At the same time, higher power limits and throttle-assist features can make e-bikes more attractive for recreational riders, commuters, and even delivery workers, especially in cities where bike lanes are scarce. This has contributed to a wider diversity of e-bike styles in North America, from fat-tire adventure bikes to powerful cargo e-bikes capable of carrying heavier loads.