Toyota Prius

According to an article from The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, on April 30th, Toyota announced global cumulative sales of its hybrid vehicles have surpassed 4 million units. Toyota has always been a leader in quality, fuel efficiency and value, and its dominance of the rapidly growing hybrid market illustrates their commitment to producing environmentally-friendly and technologically advanced vehicles for the mass market.

Although the Prius, which came to North America in 2000, may be most familiar hybrid brand to those of us here in Oregon and across the US, Toyota’s first hybrid vehicle was actually a minibus, the Coaster Hybrid EV.  Debuting in Japan in August 1997, production of the Coaster Hybrid continued until 2007.

According to Toyota, the Prius C and Prius V models, two very recent additions to the family, have already made up approximately 250,000 of those 4 million units sold. Now in its third generation, the Prius makes up the lion’s share of those sales at 2.6 million units. Toyota hybrids don’t stop at the Prius, though. Toyota sells 18 hybrid passenger vehicles across 80 countries. The best-selling passenger car in North America, the Toyota Camry, added the Camry Hybrid to its line in 2006. For those in the market for an SUV, Toyota offers the Highlander Hybrid with seating for up to 7 passengers.

The pace of hybrid vehicle sales has been steadily increasing for Toyota, which hit the one million units sold milestone in May 2007, a decade after the Coaster Hybrid EV premiered. It took 27 months for Toyota to reach the two million mark, and only 18 months to pass three million, which it did in February 2011.

Looking for your own hybrid Toyota? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @greshamtoyota.com!