Toyota says all Europe sales will be zero-emission cars by 2035

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said all new vehicle sales in Western Europe will be zero-emission models by 2035, as the world's biggest automaker complies with tighter emission rules in the region.

By 2030, at least half of Toyota's model mix will be zero emission, including electric vehicles (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell cars, Toyota said in a press release on Thursday.

Toyota, like other car makers, is releasing a slew of electric cars to meet tougher emission regulations in key markets such as Western Europe.

Unlike some auto companies, however, it has not committed to abandoning gasoline cars altogether, arguing that some regions are not yet ready for a switch to EVs or other alternative propulsion technologies.

Toyota said sales of electrified vehicles, such as EVs and hybrid cars, would help it expand vehicle sales in the region to around 1.3 million units in 2022 from 1.07 million this year.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)