Toyota City, Japan, April 17, 2013—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that cumulative global sales of its hybrid vehicles topped the 5 million unit mark as of March 31, 2013, reaching 5.125 million units1.As of this month, TMC sells 19 different hybrid passenger car models and 1 plug-in hybrid model in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world.
TMC is committed to enhancing its product line-up even further and increasing the number of countries and regions where it sells hybrid vehicles. Between now and the end of 2015, TMC will launch a total of 18 new hybrid models worldwide, including one fuel cell vehicle.
TMC calculates that as of March 31, 2013, TMC hybrid vehicles2 have resulted in approximately 34 million fewer tonnes3 of CO2 emissions— widely believed to be a cause of global warming—than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance. TMC also estimates that its hybrid vehicles have saved approximately 12 billion liters of gasoline compared to the amount used by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size.
In 1997 in Japan, TMC launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” in August and launched the “Prius”—the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle—in December. Since then, TMC hybrid vehicles have been tremendously well received by consumers around the world.
TMC Vice-Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, who was responsible for development of the first-generation Prius, said: “We developed the first-generation Prius with the aim of making it a car for the twenty-first century and as an indication of Toyota’s response to environmental issues. We had to develop a hybrid system from scratch, making our task extremely difficult. Nevertheless, we took on the challenge. The launch of the first-generation Prius had effects beyond our expectations, with the vehicle increasing consumer environmental awareness and raising hybrid vehicle expectations. The understanding of consumers at launch time laid the foundation for the widespread adoption, and, since then, consumers have continued to support TMC hybrid vehicles. For this, I am extremely grateful.”
Having positioned hybrid technologies as a core environmental technology for the twenty-first century, and the development of other environmental mobility solutions, TMC plans to continue working to further raise performance, reduce costs, and expand its environmentally-friendly product line-up.
Hybrid in Europe
Since the European introduction of the first generation Prius in 2000, Toyota and Lexus have sold 544,184 hybrid vehicles in Europe by the end March 2013, more than 10% of total global hybrid sales.
Hybrid vehicles have now reached a tipping point in Europe with a clear stepping up of hybrid sales since 2010. It took around 7 years to reach the first 100,000 hybrid sales in Europe, but in 2012 alone, Toyota Motor Europe sold 109,478 hybrid vehicles.
The European line-up currently includes six Toyota and six Lexus full hybrid vehicles4. In the first quarter of 2013, sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles in Europe increased by 82% year-on-year. Toyota and Lexus hybrid models now constitute 21% of European sales.
Hybrid vehicle customers benefit from a reduced cost of ownership. Toyota’s full hybrid technology also plays an important role in improving air quality by emitting less NOx and no Particulate Matters compared to diesel vehicles.
Source : http://www.toyota.ie/about/news/