Toyota’s electric car sales surge by over 100%, but its total vehicle registrations decline

Toyota is beginning to reap the benefits of improvements in its electric vehicle lineup, though this optimism has not yet spread to its overall business. While its battery-powered models are gaining buyers, declining sales in China are impacting the Japanese manufacturer. And it is precisely there, where competition is intensifying, that gasoline and hybrid vehicles are suffering significant losses.

According to data released by Toyota a few hours ago, from January to September 2026, Toyota and Lexus sold 309,766 electric vehicles worldwide, a 127.4% increase compared to the same period the previous year. This growth isn’t due to just one particularly strong month: aside from January, when sales rose by 87.5%, monthly deliveries have exceeded twice those recorded a year earlier.

Behind this development is a much broader lineup. In addition to updates to the Toyota bZ4X and Lexus RZ, there are models such as the Toyota C-HR+, bZ4X Touring, and Urban Cruiser, as well as the electric Lexus ES. More models with varying sizes and approaches clearly tend to bring higher sales figures, and that is indeed the case.

However, it’s important to put this growth in perspective. As of September, out of approximately 7.51 million cars sold by Toyota and Lexus, electric vehicles accounted for around 4.1% of the total, based on these figures. Their progress is notable, but their share remains small enough to not offset the challenges faced by the rest of the lineup in key markets.

China puts pressure on Toyota’s gasoline and hybrid vehicles

In September, Toyota and Lexus’s global sales totaled 860,107 units, 2.2% lower than the previous year. It was the third consecutive month of decline, bringing the year-to-date drop to 3.4%. China was one of the main factors contributing to this decline, with reduced deliveries in the Middle East also playing a role.

The Chinese market has now seen eight consecutive months of decline for the Japanese manufacturer. In September, its sales dropped by 19.7%, while sales for the first nine months totaled just over 1.05 million units, 18.9% less than during the same period in 2025. This relentless deterioration has been enough for Japan, with around 1.19 million units delivered, to surpass China in annual totals.

The results place Toyota in a rather challenging situation: electric vehicles represent one of its fastest-growing areas, yet they have historically been neglected by its executives, who have publicly downplayed their importance in various ways. Additionally, electric vehicles still account for only a limited share of its business, which remains almost entirely reliant on internal combustion engines.

Expanding its product lineup is showing results. The problem is that Toyota reacted too late, and so far this has cost it the Chinese market, despite its strong focus on electric vehicles there. It seems Europe will follow suit as well, leaving Toyota’s main strongholds in Japan and the United States.