Toyota is suggesting that the days of diesel are numbered. Speaking in Australia, sales and marketing vice president Sean Hanley explained that the fuel which has long powered the country’s most popular utes and SUVs might have only another ten years left before hydrogen technology begins to take over.
Toyota
A Careful but Clear Statement
Hanley emphasized that diesel will continue to play an important role in the short term, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles and in regional areas where options are limited. But his message came with a clear warning. “It’s not going to die off anytime in the next decade,” he said, “but in 10 years we’ll see hydrogen take over.”
The comments matter in a country where nearly half of Toyota’s sales are diesels, with stalwarts like the Land Cruiser seeing demand surge nearly 690% in 2025 even as prices creep higher.
Toyota
Why Now?
The change in tone reflects mounting global pressure. In Europe, the phase-out of combustion car sales by 2035 is already underway, and Toyota has made it clear it intends to be ready when that deadline arrives. In the U.S., the trend is just as telling, with hybrids steadily moving into vehicle lines that once depended entirely on diesel, signaling how quickly the market is shifting.
The 2026 Toyota Highlander and Grand Highlander, for example, are now offered with hybrid drivetrains that blur the line between family hauler and fuel miser. The timing of Hanley’s comments suggests Toyota wants to prepare buyers for gradual change rather than springing a shock later.
Hydrogen on the Horizon
Toyota has been working on hydrogen fuel cell technology for years, from the Mirai sedan to experimental Hilux prototypes. Hanley’s remark that hydrogen could “take over” from diesel hints at a future where workhorse vehicles and regional fleets trade their fuel tanks for hydrogen tanks.
It is a bold statement considering the huge infrastructure hurdles ahead, but Toyota has always played the long game, backing hybrids, EVs, and hydrogen side by side rather than putting everything on one option.
What It Means for Buyers
For now, diesel buyers still have options, and Toyota isn’t about to abandon them overnight. Lease deals and pricing show how the brand is keeping performance and affordability in play while hybrids and hydrogen ramp up.
Even enthusiasts are catered for, with offers like September’s deal on the 2025 Toyota GR86 keeping the lineup diverse. But Hanley’s comments confirm what many already suspected: diesel’s clock is ticking, and Toyota wants to be in control of how that story ends.
