Toyota sold over 100,000 EVs last year, but that’s still less than 1% of its total sales
Although Toyota held its title as the top-selling automaker, the industry is shifting beneath it. Toyota sold over 100,000 EVs in 2023, but that’s still less than 1% of the record 11.2 million vehicles handed over last year.
Toyota sold 104,018 EVs in 2023: Is it enough?
The automaker announced its 2023 global sales results Tuesday, showing over 11.2 million vehicles were handed over last year.
Between the Toyota and Lexus brands alone, a record 10.3 million vehicles were sold in 2023.
Toyota’s global EV sales reached 104,018 in 2023, up 325% from 2022. Despite the triple-digit growth, Toyota only sold 24,000 EVs globally in 2022. That said, all-electric models only accounted for 0.93% of its total 11.2 million vehicles handed over last year.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s hybrid and ICE sales continue to dominate the greatest share. Toyota sold over 3.4 million hybrids (+31% YOY) and 26,859 MHEVs (+494%) last year.
The automaker also sold 3,921 FCEVs, down 0.1% from 2022. Altogether, Toyota’s “electrified” sales amounted to nearly 3.7 million. That’s almost a third of the vehicles Toyota handed over last year. This means the other two-thirds were gas-powered.
Rival Volkswagen sold 394,000 EVs last year, accounting for 8% of its total sales. Although this is still relatively low, it shows how far behind Toyota is falling as the market transitions to electric.
Toyota has bigger issues as chairman Akio Toyoda apologized for recent scandals brought to light at its affiliates.
He said: “I would like to express my deepest apologies to our customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience and concern caused by the successive irregularities at Hino Motors, Daihatsu, and Toyota Industries.”
Toyoda revealed a new vision as the company looks to earn the trust of customers and investors.
Electrek’s Take
Although Toyota remained the top-selling automaker this year, you can see the thin ice starting to melt beneath it.
With EVs accounting for less than 1% of total sales last year, Toyota is far behind the competition, with most already hitting double-digit or 100% EV sales by now.
Tesla’s Model Y topped the RAV4 and Corolla to become the best-selling vehicle globally last year.
Despite the record performance in 2023, Toyota’s lack of all-electric options will likely take its toll in major markets like North America, Europe, and China going forward.
During a lecture last week, Toyoda said he believes EVs will never surpass 30% market share “no matter how much progress BEVs make.” The remaining 70% will be HEVs, FCEVs, and gas-powered. Toyota insisted, “And I think engine cars will definitely remain.”
Meanwhile, several markets, including Norway (82.4% EV share), Sweden (32%), The Netherlands (24%), and China (24%), are already well above or about to reach the mark.
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
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Environment
Podcast: Electricity is the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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