Toyota says Prius hybrid sales hit 1 million worldwide

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday that cumulative sales of its Prius hybrid car had topped 1 million units worldwide since its launch just over a decade ago.

The Prius, the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car, first went on sale in Japan in late 1997 and in other markets in 2000. Toyota remains the leader in hybrid sales, with Honda Motor Co (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research) a distant second with its Civic model.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, said it had sold about 1,028,000 Prius cars as of the end of April.

"Toyota believes that Prius vehicles worldwide have contributed to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by producing approximately 4.5 million tonnes less CO2 when compared with gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance," it said in a statement.

Toyota remodeled the Prius with an improved hybrid system in 2003 and is widely expected to launch a third-generation version by next year.

By slashing production costs for the hybrid system, Toyota has said it would make the technology available across its line-up, with an aim to sell at least 1 million hybrid vehicles annually soon after 2010.

Last year, Toyota sold about 429,400 hybrid vehicles globally, up 37 percent from 2006. That accounted for less than 5 percent of its total vehicle sales.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv...22410420080515

 

What a milestone. But still only a drop in the bucket compared to all the vehicles out in the road...

 

This is just the beginning. In a few years there will be many more hybrids on the road, as gas prices continue to change everyone's mind set about the high cost of driving inefficient cars and SUV's.

 

If Toyota wants to double their annual hybrid sales within just two years I think we need to see a hybrid Sienna, Avalon, Rav 4, Sequioa, ES and IS.

 

it took them 10 years to get 1 million hybrids on the road...and now they want to do 1 million hybrids a year? wow

I see a gazillion of those priuses on the road actually. i mean a single street in san francisco will have at least 1

agreed, if this is the case, we need more hybrid lexus'. Im seeing hybrid ES would be the easiest.

 

Agreed. I don't know what's taking them so long, quite frankly. Though I'm assuming their recent quality control issues might have something to do with the delay. But it's a no-brainer for them to hybridize the ES, IS, & Avalon especially. They will sell tons of each of them

 

+1

as of 2006, there was 135,399,945 million registered passenger cars in the US (250,000,000+ total registered vehicles).

 

I love that pic. Kudos to Toyota, going against the odds and winning!

 

Well at least he drives a Prius...

 

A Canadian made it to shuttle his family. Although fuel economy is reduced by the increased weight, it still gets 43 mpg city and 50 mpg on longer trips. When the driver is alone, he has achieved as high as 56 mpg, so until a hybrid minivan or larger hybrid station wagon hits the market, this seems to me a creative alternative.

 

No one said it was a linear curve . It's been growing exponentially.

Yeah but remember the "statisicians" that said hybrids will only account for 1% of total new car sales? Now it's 3%.