In September 2025, Toyota sold a shockingly low 18 EVs in Japan, highlighting its weak footing in the home market
 

Yes, just 18. Toyota sold 18 electric vehicles in its home market of Japan last month. And that includes its luxury Lexus brand.

Why did Toyota sell just 18 EVs in Japan in August?
Toyota, including Lexus, sold just over 17,000 electric vehicles globally in August. But, in Japan, Toyota’s home market, EV sales plummeted, with just 18 units sold.

The other 17,038 EVs were sold in overseas markets, like Europe, China, and North America. Through the first nine months of 2025, Toyota and Lexus have sold 117,031 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) worldwide and are on pace to top the roughly 140,000 sold throughout 2024.

In Japan, the story has been different so far this year. Toyota (including Lexus) sold 469 EVs through August, a far cry from the 2,038 it sold throughout the entire year of 2024.

To be fair, it’s not just Toyota that’s struggling to sell electric cars in Japan. The country has failed to keep pace with China and, in many respects, the rest of the industry, due to a lack of government support and limited options compared to gas-powered hybrids.