Toyota announced today it has sold over four million hybrids around the world since introducing the first Prius in Japan all the way back in 1997. Sales were slow, at first, but the pace is now picking up. For example, it was around 14 months ago that Toyota announced it had sold three million hybrids around the world. With the sales success of the newly introduced V, C and Plug-In models and Toyota looking for hybrid production capacity in the U.S., we imagine it won’t take another 14 months to sell the next million. Especially since Toyota now sells a total of 18 different hybrid models around the world and make up 15 percent of the company’s overall sales. You can see a timeline and lots of numbers in the press release below.
Toyota City, Japan, May 22, 2012-Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that global cumulative sales of its hybrid vehicles have topped the 4 million mark as of April 301.
Positioning response to environmental issues as a management priority and based on its belief that environment-friendly vehicles can only truly have a positive impact if they are used widely, TMC has endeavored to promote the mass-market adoption of hybrid vehicles.
In 1997 in Japan, TMC launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” in August and launched the “Prius”-the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle-in December. Sales of the Prius began in North America, Europe and elsewhere in 2000. 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 compact hatchbacks. In particular, the third-generation Prius launched in May 2009 received strong support from customers around the world, leading to global cumulative sales of TMC’s hybrid vehicles topping 3 million vehicles by the end of February 2011.
Since then, new models such as the “Prius α” (Prius Alpha) and the “Aqua” have been launched.
TMC currently sells 18 hybrid, passenger vehicle models in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world. This year, hybrid vehicles have accounted for 15% of TMC’s global vehicle sales. With the upcoming “Yaris Hybrid” scheduled for launch in Europe and the Lexus “ES 300h” for the United States, TMC is committed to augmenting its product lineup even further and increasing the number of countries and regions in which it sells hybrid vehicles.
As of April 30, 2012, TMC calculates that TMC hybrid vehicles2, since 1997, have led to approximately 26 million fewer tons3 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-friendly cars-as key technologies, TMC plans to continue working to further raise performance, reduce costs, and expand its product lineup, including that of non-hybrid environment-friendly vehicles, to create vehicles that are popular with consumers.
TMC Hybrid Vehicle Sales* (Unit = 1,000 vehicles)
| Year | ’00 | ’01 | ’02 | ’03 | ’04 | ’05 | ’06 |
| Japan | 12.5 | 18.4 | 19.9 | 27.1 | 68.7 | 58.5 | 72.4 |
| Overseas | 6.4 | 18.4 | 21.3 | 26.1 | 65.9 | 176.4 | 240.0 |
| Total | 19.0 | 36.9 | 41.3 | 53.2 | 134.6 | 234.9 | 312.5 |
| Cumulative total |
52.2 | 89.1 | 130.5 | 183.8 | 318.5 | 553.4 | 865.9 |
| Year | ’07 | ’08 | ’09 | ’10 | ’11 | Jan-Apr. ’12 |
– |
| Japan | 81.9 | 104.4 | 251.1 | 392.2 | 316.3 | 255.1 | – |
| Overseas | 347.4 | 325.3 | 278.9 | 297.9 | 312.6 | 170.5 | – |
| Total | 429.4 | 429.7 | 530.1 | 690.1 | 628.9 | 425.7 | – |
| Cumulative total |
1,295.3 | 1,725.1 | 2,255.2 | 2,945.4 | 3,574.4 | 4,000.1 | – |
| *Includes Lexus brand; based on TMC data | |||||||
Cumulative Sales*1 of Main TMC Hybrid Passenger Vehicles (Unit = 1,000 vehicles)
| Vehicle name |
Prius | Prius α (Prius v) |
Aqua (Prius c) |
Camry Hybrid |
Kluger Hybrid*2 (Highlander Hybrid) |
Auris Hybrid | Alphard Hybrid*3 |
| Japan | 1,156.7 | 111.5 | 83.4 | 14.7 | 3.4 | – | 29.8 |
| Overseas | 1,474.2 | 26.5 | 12.1 | 254.9 | 123.9 | 57.9 | (Dozens) |
| Total | 2,631.0 | 138.0 | 95.5 | 269.6 | 127.3 | 57.9 | 29.9 |
| Vehicle name |
Vellfire Hybrid |
Estima Hybrid |
Sai | Harrier Hybrid |
Crown Hybrid |
Crown Mild Hybrid*4 |
Prius PHV |
| Japan | 6.4 | 90.2 | 53.7 | 23.5 | 24.6 | 6.4 | 4.7 |
| Overseas | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 |
| Total | 6.4 | 90.2 | 53.7 | 23.5 | 24.6 | 6.4 | 7.3 |
| Vehicle name |
LS 600h/ LS 600hL |
GS 450h | RX 400h/ RX 450h |
HS 250h | CT 200h | Cumulative | |
| Passenger hybrid vehicles |
Commercial hybrid vehicles*5 |
||||||
| Japan | 16.8 | 7.1 | 17.1 | 31.2 | 25.9 | 1,708.2 | 4.0 |
| Overseas | 10.4 | 18.0 | 221.5 | 22.2 | 63.0 | 2,287.8 | – |
| Total | 27.3 | 25.1 | 238.6 | 53.5 | 89.0 | 3,996.0 | 4.0 |
| *1Includes Lexus brand, based on TMC data, as of April 30, 2012; *2Kluger Hybrid (for Japanese market) production ceased in 2007; *3Production ceased in 2008 and production of a new model started in 2011; *4Consisted of two models: Crown Royal production ceased in 2003, Crown Sedan production ceased in 2008; *5Accumulated figure for Coaster Hybrid EV (production ceased in 2004), Dyna Hybrid, Toyoace Hybrid and Quick Delivery 200 (hybrid-version production ceased in 2012). | |||||||
TMC Hybrid Vehicle Chronology
| Year | Month | Milestone |
| 1997 | Mar. | Toyota Hybrid System (THS) unveiled |
| Aug. | Coaster Hybrid EV launched (Japan only) | |
| Dec. | Prius launched | |
| 2000 | 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 (RX 400h) and Kluger Hybrid (Highlander Hybrid) launched |
| Oct. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 500,000 mark | |
| Dec. | Second-generation Prius production commenced at the Changchun plant in China | |
| 2006 | Mar. | GS 450h launched in Japan |
| Apr. | Cumulative Prius sales top 500,000 vehicles | |
| May | Camry Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan) | |
| 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; LS 600h/LS 600hL launched |
| 2008 | Feb. | Crown Hybrid unveiled (launched in April; Japan only) |
| May | Cumulative Prius sales top 1 million vehicles | |
| 2009 | Jan. | RX 450h unveiled (launched in April) |
| May | Third-generation Prius launched | |
| Jul. | Camry Hybrid production commenced at the TMT’s Gateway Plant, Thailand; 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 the TMCA’s Altona Plant, Australia | |
| 2010 | Apr. | Camry Hybrid production commenced at the GTMC’s plant in China |
| Jun. | Auris Hybrid production commenced at the TMUK’s Burnaston Plant, UK; Auris Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan) | |
| Jul. | Cumulative sales in Japan of TMC hybrids top 1 million vehicles | |
| Sep. | Cumulative Prius sales top 2 million vehicles | |
| Nov. | Third-generation Prius production commenced at TMT’s 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; CT 200h unveiled |
| Feb. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 3 million mark | |
| May | Prius α launched | |
| Aug. | Prius sales in Japan top 1 million mark; Camry Hybrid unveiled; Hybrid models of the Alphard and Vellfire added (launched in November, Japan only); | |
| Oct. | TMEC of China conducts cornerstone laying ceremony and announces plan to produce and sell vehicles with hybrid system produced in China jointly with China FAW Group and GAC by around 2015 | |
| Nov. | Prius PHV unveiled (launched in January 2012 in Japan and March in the U.S. and scheduled for launch in Europe in the summer of 2012) | |
| Dec. | Production of third-generation Prius commenced at SFTM’s Changchun Plant in China; Aqua unveiled | |
| 2012 | Jan. | Redesigned GS 450h launched |
| Feb. | Start of Highlander Hybrid production at Indiana Plant in the U.S. in the second half of 2013 announced; production and sale of Camry Hybrid in Taiwan commenced | |
| Apr. | Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 4 million mark |
1Based on TMC data
2Excluding the Coaster Hybrid EV, Dyna Hybrid, Toyoace Hybrid and Quick Delivery 200
3Number of registered vehicles × distance traveled × fuel efficiency (actual fuel efficiency in each country) × CO2 conversion factor
