Source: Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota announced they have finally sold more than 3 million hybrid electric cars globally.
In 1997 in Japan, Toyota launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” in August and launched the “Prius”. Next came the second-generation Prius in 2003 and the expanded use of TMC’s hybrid system on such vehicles as minivans, SUVs, rear-wheel-drive sedans and hatchbacks.
The third-generation Prius went on sale in May 2009, and the global sales topped 2 million by the end of August 09.
This year, TMC continued to expand its hybrid vehicle lineup, launching the Lexus “CT 200h”—the first dedicated hybrid model in the premium-compact segment—in January. TMC currently sells 16 hybrid vehicle models in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world, including three commercial vehicle models in Japan.
TMC plans to introduce 10 new-model hybrid vehicles by the end of 2012, including six newly launched vehicles and 4 vehicles that have been redesigned. TMC is committed to augmenting this lineup even further and increasing the number of countries and regions in which it sells hybrid vehicles.
As of February 28, 2011, TMC calculates that TMC hybrid vehicles, since 1997, have led to approximately 18 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions—considered to be a cause of climate change—than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance.
Having positioned hybrid technologies—consisting of the component technologies necessary for development of various environment-considerate cars—as key technologies, TMC plans to continue working to further raise performance, reduce costs, and expand its product lineup to create vehicles that are popular with consumers.
