Toyota Motor Corporation has announced cumulative global hybrid vehicle (HV) sales of 10.05 million units as of January 31, surpassing the 10 million unit mark. More than a numerical milestone, this demonstrates the staying power of a technology that is now emerging as a mainstream solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.
Helping to mitigate the environmental effects of automobiles has long been a priority for Toyota. Based on the stance that environmentally friendly vehicles can only truly have a significant positive impact if they are widely used, Toyota has encouraged the mass-market adoption of hybrid vehicles across the globe. 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. This latest milestone of 10 million units was achieved just nine months after total sales reached 9 million units at the end of April 2016.
Toyota launched its first hybrid vehicle 20 years ago, and the circumstances surrounding environmentally friendly vehicles have since changed dramatically. The growing popularity of the Prius led to the creation of a new customer standard of choosing cars based on their environmental performance. As the number of companies developing and launching hybrid vehicles increased, so a new segment of “hybrid vehicles” was established. In addition, now that customers around the world are opting to purchase hybrid vehicles and other fuel-efficient vehicles, the entire automobile industry has been able to contribute to the solution of global environmental problems. Having passed the 10 million vehicle milestone, Toyota will continue to create ever-better cars for its customers.
“When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was. Those who drove it were called geeks or other names. Today, thanks to those early adopters who gave Prius a chance, hybrids have grown in popularity, and have ridden a wave of success out of the unknown and into the mainstream,” said Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Toyota and known as the father of the Prius. “We are grateful to each and every one of our customers who has helped us achieve this important milestone of 10 million hybrid sales. We are committed to continuing working hand-in-hand with them to tackle global environmental issues.”
As of January 31, Toyota estimates that the use of Toyota’s HVs in lieu of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance has resulted in approximately 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and has saved approximately 29 million kiloliters of gasoline.
Toyota announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in October 2015, setting challenges that it will undertake to help reduce the negative impacts of automobiles on the global environment to as close to zero as possible, and to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society. Toyota launched its first hybrid, the Prius in India in 2010. Toyota also launched the Camry Hybrid in India in 2013 which is the first and only locally manufactured strong hybrid in the country.
Commenting on the occasion, Akito Tachibana, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, "Although hybrid technology is still at a very nascent stage in India and caters to a very niche segment, the Camry Hybrid has received an overwhelming response from our customers and the market alike. The success of Camry hybrid indicates the willingness of the market to accept alternative fuel technology like hybrid which not only benefits the environment but also conserves fuel. Here we would also like to thank the government who has encouraged our efforts to promote hybrid technology in India by introducing schemes like FAME-(Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of Electric cars) under which the Camry Hybrid qualifies to receive a markdown of Rs. 70,000 in its price which is passed onto the customer."
The 4th Generation New Toyota Prius which is the first vehicle to be built on Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), was displayed at the Auto Expo last year and is set to be soon launched in the Indian market.
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