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Toyota Sold More Than 10 Million Hybrid Vehicles To Date

In March 1997, the biggest Japanese automaker of them all unveiled the Toyota Hybrid System. In August, the Coaster Hybrid EV launched in Japan, then the first-gen Prius made its debut in October 1997. Less than two decades since that moment in time, Toyota announces that it has sold more than 10 million hybrid vehicles.
Toyota Prius 6 photos
Photo: Toyota
Toyota sells 10 million hybrid vehicles from 1997 to January 2017Toyota sells 10 million hybrid vehicles from 1997 to January 2017Toyota sells 10 million hybrid vehicles from 1997 to January 2017Toyota sells 10 million hybrid vehicles from 1997 to January 2017Toyota sells 10 million hybrid vehicles from 1997 to January 2017
The milestone was achieved nine months after the Japanese juggernaut reached 9 million units at the end of April 2016, a seriously impressive feat in its own right. Toyota’s American division is responsible for selling three million-plus hybrids of the grand total. Be that as it may, Japan leads the way with 4.85 million hybrids to its name from 1997 to January 2017.

Regarding nameplates, the Prius is the most popular hybrid model in Toyota’s lineup, with cumulative sales surpassing 3.98 million in 20 years. Up next is the Toyota Prius C (1.38 million), followed by the Prius v (671,200) and Camry Hybrid (614,700). Make no mistake about it, that’s pretty impressive.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, who’s referred to as the father of the Prius and co-chairman of the Board of Directors at Toyota, declared: “When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was, but, thanks to early adopters, hybrids have ridden a wave of success into the mainstream. We are grateful to each and every one of our customers who have helped us achieve this important milestone,” he concluded.

As an alternative to conventional gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance, Toyota estimates that the hybrids it has sold these past two decades account for 77 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In addition to that, just about 7.66 million gallons of gasoline were saved.

The company’s newest effort regarding hybridization is the 2018 Lexus LS 500h full-size luxury sedan, which is slated to debut this coming March at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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