Toyota sets achieves a new milestone as worldwide cumulative sales of hybrid models surpass 3 million mark. That’s no surprise since for most people the word hybrid car is synonymous with Prius!
The Prius was the first fully functional mass produced hybrid car that went on sales worldwide, but it’s not Toyota’s first hybrid. That’s be the Toyota Coaster Hybrid EV coach in August 1997. After Prius’ huge success, they launched a range of hybrid cars. Not just Toyota, their luxury arm Lexus too offers a hybrid verison of each model thy produce. Around the world Toyota currently offers 16 hybrids in around 80 countries, including MPVs, saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs, plus three commercial vehicles in Japan.
Toyota reckons as of the end of February this year their hybrid cars have led to approximately 18 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions! Interesting stuff, but they should take into account the damage making a hybrid car which is a very complex process causes to the environment! Just making the lithium ion batteries is a mind-bogglingly long procedure in which materials have to be delivered from one side of the world to another. That’s not a completely green journey, is it!
ToyotaHybrid Vehicle Sales*(1 Unit = 1,000 vehicles)
| YEAR | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
| UK | – | – | – | 0.185 | 0.622 | 0.291 | 0.370 | 1.595 |
| Global | 0.3 | 17.7 | 15.3 | 19.0 | 36.9 | 41.3 | 53.3 | 134.7 |
| Cumulative | 0.3 | 18.0 | 33.2 | 52.3 | 89.2 | 130.5 | 183.8 | 318.5 |
| YEAR | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | CUMULATIVE TOTAL |
| UK | 5.282 | 8.347 | 13.199 | 12.853 | 11.202 | 16.453 | 2.694 | 73.0 |
| Global | 234.9 | 312.5 | 429.4 | 429.7 | 530.0 | 690.0 | 93.3 | 3,038.8 |
| Cumulative | 553.5 | 866.0 | 1,295.4 | 1,725.1 | 2,255.1 | 2,945.4 | 3,038.8 | – |
*Including Lexus, based on TMC/TGB data
ToyotaHybrid Milestones
| YEAR | MONTH | MILESTONE |
| 1997 | Mar. | Toyota Hybrid System (THS) unveiled |
| Aug. | Coaster Hybrid EV launched (Japan only) | |
| Dec. | Prius launched | |
| 2000 | Oct. | Prius launched in the UK |
| Nov. | Cumulative Prius sales top 50,000 vehicles | |
| 2001 | Jun. | Estima Hybrid launched (Japan only) |
| Aug. | Crown Mild Hybrid launched (Japan only) | |
| 2002 | Mar. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 100,000 mark |
| Aug. | Cumulative Prius sales top 100,000 vehicles | |
| 2003 | Apr. | Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) unveiled |
| Jul. | Alphard Hybrid launched (Japan only) | |
| Sep. | Second-generation Prius launched | |
| Nov. | Dyna Hybrid and Toyoace Hybrid launched (Japan only) | |
| 2005 | Mar. | Harrier Hybrid (Lexus RX 400h outside Japan) and Kluger Hybrid (Highlander Hybrid) launched |
| May | Lexus RX 400h launched in the UK | |
| Oct. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 500,000 mark | |
| Dec. | Prius production commenced at the Changchun Plant, China | |
| 2006 | Mar. | GS 450h launched in Japan |
| Apr. | Cumulative Prius sales top 500,000 vehicles | |
| May | Camry Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan)
Lexus GS 450h launched in the UK |
|
| Jun. | Redesigned Estima Hybrid launched (Japan only) | |
| Oct. | Camry Hybrid production commenced at the TMMK’s Kentucky Plant, U.S.
Quick Delivery 200 launched (Japan only) |
|
| 2007 | May | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 1-million mark.
Lexus LS 600h/LS 600hL launched |
| Oct. | Lexus LS 600h/LS 600hL launched in the UK | |
| 2008 | Feb. | Crown Hybrid unveiled (launched in April; Japan only) |
| May | Cumulative Prius sales top 1 million vehicles | |
| 2009 | Jan. | Lexus RX 450h unveiled |
| May | Third-generation Prius launched
Lexus RX 450h launched in the UK |
|
| Jul. | Camry Hybrid production commenced at the TMT’s Gateway Plant, Thailand.
Lexus HS 250h launched |
|
| Aug. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 2-million mark | |
| Oct. | Sai unveiled (launched in December, Japan only) | |
| Dec. | Camry Hybrid production commenced at TMCAAltona Plant, Australia | |
| 2010 | Apr. | Camry Hybrid production commenced at the GTMC plant in China |
| Jun. | Auris Hybrid production commenced at the TMUK Burnaston Plant, UK.
Auris Hybrid launched |
|
| Sep. | Cumulative Prius sales top 2 million vehicles | |
| Nov. | Prius production commenced at the TMT Gateway Plant, Thailand | |
| 2011 | Jan. | Annual Prius sales in Japan of new vehicles in 2010 were 315,669 vehicles, the largest amount of annual sales ever recorded.
Lexus CT 200h unveiled |
| Feb. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 3-million mark |
