Toyota to sell Prius in RP by mid-year

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino consumers will now have access to environmental friendly cars after Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) announced it will be bringing in the Prius in the country either in June or July.

“We just received the approval from the head office very recently. We will bring the Prius in middle of this year,” Alfred Ty, TMP vice chairman told reporters at the sidelines of the Lexus launch Monday evening.

According to Ty, there is a market for hybrid vehicles here even if these environmentally friendly cars are pricier than normal vehicles.

“We will start with the Prius first. We have the go signal for this,” Ty said.

Ty said they have not yet determined the price of the Prius or how many they will import here to sell. “There is no price range yet.” The Toyota website stated that starting price for the 2009 Prius is $22,000.

However, the price here may differ given importation charges and various taxes which will add to the cost of the car. Ty said they will ask for incentives from the government to the taxes.

“The government has to help. It can’t be a one way thing,” Ty said. “We would like to get subsidies but that is still in the process,” he added. In a previous interview, TMP president Hiroshi Ito said it is very costly to import hybrid vehicles. “The government needs to give incentives.”

According to Ito, they have not formally asked the Board of Investments (BOI) for incentives for importing hybrid cars but Toyota is willing to spearhead the move to get more perks for being environmental friendly.

Ito said should Toyota decide to sell hybrid vehicles in the Philippines, the price will be similar to other countries. However, he said the cost of importation would definitely increase the prices because right now it is very expensive.

Even though hybrid cars are more expensive, Ito said they have been getting inquiries regarding hybrid vehicles. “There is a demand,” Ito said.

Ito said they are projecting to sell 50 units per month should Toyota finally decide to sell hybrid vehicles in the country.

Earlier, Toyota said they are unable to bring hybrid cars here given the road conditions in the country. When asked about this, Ty said “things have changed.” He explained that even if the road conditions remain the same, the Prius has evolved.

The Prius that will be introduced here in the country is the third generation Prius. “The technology for this has improved.”