In the Birthplace of Toyota’s Prius, Hybrids Now Reign Supreme

Hybrids are selling better than ever in Japan.

They’re on track to exceed half of domestic passenger vehicle sales for the first time next year, after surpassing the combined share of gasoline and diesel cars for the first time in 2023, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

The trend is a long time coming, given Toyota Motor Corp. released the Prius — the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle — in 1997. As many other developed markets press manufacturers to go fully electric, Japan’s biggest carmakers have been notoriously reluctant and only recently have promised to roll out a wider slate of battery-only models in the next ...