Global sales of Toyota hybrids surpass nine million

This latest million-unit milestone was achieved in just nine months.

In 2015, Toyota added a hybrid model of the popular minivan, the Sienta and began selling the latest hybrid icon: the fourth-generation Prius. It introduced the Corolla and Levin hybrid models in China—with locally-produced hybrid systems and added a hybrid model of the RAV4 to its ever-increasing hybrid line-up. As of the end of April 2016, Toyota was selling 33 hybrid passenger car models and one plug-in hybrid (PHV) model in more than 90 countries and regions.

Toyota announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in October of last year, setting challenges that it will undertake in order to reduce the negative impacts automobiles have on global environmental health to as close to zero as possible, and to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society. In order to fulfill these challenges, Toyota is working to expand its lineup of hybrid vehicles even further and will work to contribute to the environment by achieving annual sales of 1.5 million units, and cumulative sales of 15 million units by 2020.

According to calculations by Toyota, as of April 30, the use of Toyota hybrid vehicles in lieu of conventional vehicles of similar size and driving performance has resulted in approximately 67 million fewer tonnes of CO2 emissions believed to be a cause of global warming. Toyota also estimates that its hybrid vehicles have saved approximately 25 million kilolitres of gasoline compared to the amount used by gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class.

Toyota launched the Coaster Hybrid EV in August 1997 and the Prius—the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle in December of the same year. Since then, Toyota hybrid vehicles have received tremendous support from consumers around the world.

Toyota has positioned hybrid technologies, which encompass all of the component technologies necessary for the development of environment-friendly cars and which facilitate the use of different fuel combinations, as core environmental technologies for the 21st century.

Toyota has endeavoured to encourage the mass-market adoption of hybrid vehicles across the globe as the company’s stance is that eco-friendly vehicles can only truly have a significant positive impact if they are widely used. It is also continuing to enhance performance, reduce costs, and expand its product lineup.