With 8 Million Units Sold, Toyota Proves Hybrids Have Staying Power

Toyota City, Japan, August 21, 2015 — Toyota Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada likes to tell the story of how his team couldn't get the first Prius prototype to move for 49 days. According to him, "We had no idea what was wrong, so we worked late every night trying to figure it out. We finally got it to move around Christmas time, but it only went 500 meters!"

 

That was back in 1995, when hybrid cars were unproven, experimental machines with a very unclear future. Fast-forward twenty years, and Toyota is proud to announce that it has now sold over 8 million hybrid vehicles1, with just 10 months between this and the last million-unit milestone.

 

It can be hard to get a sense of what the number 8 million might mean for the environment and for hybrid owners. For a bit of context, Toyota calculates that as of July 31, its hybrid vehicles have resulted in approximately 58 million fewer tons2 of CO2 emissions3 than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance. Toyota also estimates that its hybrid vehicles have saved approximately 22 million kiloliters of gasoline compared to the amount used by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar sizes.

 

The message is clear: having found homes in driveways around the world, hybrids have staying power. Since the launch of the Prius in 1997, Toyota has been gradually adding hybrid models throughout its range, from the compact Yaris Hybrid to the recently announced RAV4 Hybrid. As of this month, Toyota sells 30 hybrid passenger car models and one plug-in hybrid model in more than 90 markets.

 

Over just the past year, Toyota has made several new hybrid models available, including the Esquire Hybrid (Japan only), the Lexus RC300h, and the recently launched Sienta Hybrid. Other new hybrid models are just around the corner, such as the Corolla Hybrid and Levin Hybrid (China only) and RAV4 Hybrid. This ongoing roll-out will only continue, with new hybrid models being added to Toyota's range and sold in more markets than ever before. 

 

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, are positioned by Toyota as core environmental technologies for the twenty-first century. Using these technologies, Toyota is also working on improving non-hybrid cars. Across the board, Toyota aims to enhance performance, reduce costs, and expand its product lineup including that of non-hybrid vehicles.

 

1 Including plug-in hybrid vehicles; Toyota data

2 Excluding the Coaster Hybrid EV and Quick Delivery 200

3 Number of registered vehicles × distance traveled × fuel efficiency (actual fuel efficiency in each country) × CO2 conversion factor

 

 

Toyota Hybrid Vehicle Sales*

(Based on Toyota data)

 

 

Global

Cumulative

Europe

Japan

North America

Others

1997

－

300

－

－

300

300

1998

－

17,600

－

－

17,600

18,000

1999

－

15,200

－

－

15,200

33,200

2000

700

12,500

5,800

－

19,000

52,300

2001

300

18,500

16,000

200

36,900

89,200

2002

800

20,000

20,300

200

41,300

130,500

2003

900

27,200

24,900

400

53,300

183,800

2004

8,100

68,700

55,900

1,900

134,700

318,500

2005

23,400

58,500

150,000

3,100

234,900

553,500

2006

36,000

72,400

197,600

6,500

312,500

866,000

2007

49,000

82,000

287,800

10,700

429,400

1,295,400

2008

57,800

104,400

255,000

12,600

429,700

1,725,100

2009

54,700

251,100

205,300

19,000

530,100

2,255,200

2010

70,200

392,200

195,900

31,900

690,200

2,945,400

2011

82,800

316,400

185,100

44,700

629,000

3,574,400

2012

106,900

678,000

344,700

89,500

1,219,100

4,793,500

2013

152,900

679,100

358,200

89,000

1,279,200

6,072,700

2014

171,800

684,200

323,600

86,500

1,266,000

7,338,700

Jan-Jul
2015

111,800

389,300

163,200

45,300

709,600

8,048,400

Total

930,100

3,887,800

2,789,100

441,400

    

*Global figures contain sales from markets other than Europe, Japan, North America and Others

    

 

 

Cumulative Sales of Toyota Hybrid Passenger Vehicles*1 (as of July 2015)

 

 

Global

Europe

Japan

North America

Others

Prius

279,400

1,553,400

1,595,700

98,700

3,527,100

Prius α / Prius v / Prius +

32,800

401,600

142,700

5,300

582,400

Aqua / Prius c

－

901,500

150,800

29,000

1,081,200

Camry

－

49,400

356,900

122,100

528,300

Alphard*2

－

56,400

－

1,900

58,300

Auris

231,100

－

－

9,000

240,100

Yaris

172,200

－

－

4,000

176,200

Avalon

－

－

41,100

100

41,200

Highlander / Kluger*3

－

3,400

141,100

1,800

146,300

Vellfire

－

28,400

－

－

28,400

Sai

－

92,800

－

－

92,800

Estima

－

114,000

－

33

114,000

Harrier

－

55,900

－

－

55,900

Crown Hybrid

－

123,700

－

－

123,700

Crown Mild Hybrid*4

－

6,500

－

－

6,500

Crown Majesta (hybrid only)

－

10,500

－

－

10,500

Corolla Axio

－

36,300

－

－

36,300

Corolla Fielder

－

90,400

－

－

90,400

Voxy

－

57,200

－

－

57,200

Noah

－

43,600

－

－

43,600

Esquire

－

31,500

－

－

31,500

Sienta

－

3,100

－

－

3,100

Lexus LS 600h / LS 600hL

4,700

27,100

3,000

5,100

39,800

Lexus GS 450h / GS 300h

15,500

19,600

7,100

7,300

49,500

Lexus RX 400h / RX 450h

93,600

31,400

159,200

33,400

317,600

Lexus HS 250h

－

43,600

22,300

100

66,000

Lexus CT 200h

57,000

49,800

78,800

56,200

241,900

Lexus ES 300h

500

－

46,300

50,900

97,700

Lexus IS 300h

19,300

18,400

－

6,800

44,500

Lexus NX 300h

14,400

9,900

2,000

9,700

36,000

Lexus RC 300h

－

2,400

－

－

2,400

Prius PHV

9,900

21,700

42,000

100

73,600

*1Figures as of July, 2015 and based on Toyota data; *2Production ceased in 2008 and production of a new model started in 2011; *3Kluger Hybrid (for the Japanese market) production ceased in 2007; *4Crown Royal production ceased in 2003, Crown Sedan production ceased in 2008;

 

Toyota Hybrid Vehicle Chronology

Year

Month

Milestone

1995

Oct.

Prius concept displayed by Toyota at Tokyo Motor Show

Nov.

First Prius prototype built

1997

Mar.

Toyota Hybrid System (THS) unveiled

Aug.

Coaster Hybrid EV launched (Japan only)

Oct.

Prius unveiled (launched in December)

2000

Nov.

Cumulative global Prius sales top 50,000 vehicles

2001

Jun.

Estima Hybrid launched (Japan only)

Aug.

Crown Royal series with Mild Hybrid System launched (Japan only)

2002

Mar.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 100,000 mark

Aug.

Cumulative global Prius sales top 100,000 vehicles

Oct.

Crown Sedan with Mild Hybrid System launched (Japan only)

2003

Apr.

Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) unveiled

Jul.

Alphard Hybrid launched (Japan only)

Sep.

Completely redesigned second-generation Prius launched

Dyna Hybrid and Toyoace Hybrid unveiled (launched in November; Japan only)

2005

Mar.

Harrier Hybrid (Lexus RX 400h) and Kluger Hybrid (Highlander Hybrid) launched

Oct.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 500,000 mark

Dec.

Second-generation Prius production commenced at SFTM's Changchun plant in China

2006

Mar.

Lexus GS 450h launched

Apr.

Cumulative global Prius sales top 500,000 vehicles

May

Camry Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan)

Jun.

Completely redesigned Estima Hybrid launched (Japan only)

Oct.

Camry Hybrid production commenced at Kentucky Plant in the U.S.; Quick Delivery 200 launched (Japan only)

2007

May

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 1 million mark; Lexus LS 600h / LS 600hL launched

2008

Feb.

Crown Hybrid unveiled (launched in May; Japan only)

Apr.

Cumulative global Prius sales top 1 million vehicles

2009

Jan.

Lexus RX 450h unveiled (launched in April)

May

Completely redesigned third-generation Prius launched

Jul.

Camry Hybrid production commenced at TMT's Gateway Plant, Thailand; HS 250h launched

Aug.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 2 million mark

Oct.

Sai unveiled (launched in December, Japan only)

Dec.

Camry Hybrid production commenced at TMCA's Altona Plant, Australia

2010

Apr.

Camry Hybrid production commenced at GTMC's plant in China

Jun.

Auris Hybrid production commenced at TMUK's Burnaston Plant, UK; Auris Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan)

Jul.

Cumulative sales in Japan of hybrids top 1 million vehicles

Sep.

Cumulative global 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; Lexus CT 200h launched

Feb.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 3 million mark

May

Prius α launched

Aug.

Prius sales in Japan top 1 million mark

Sep.

Completely redesigned Camry Hybrid launched in Japan; Alphard Hybrid and Vellfire Hybrid unveiled (launched in November, Japan only)

Oct.

TMEC of China conducts cornerstone laying ceremony and announces plan to produce and sell vehicles with hybrid systems produced in China jointly with China FAW Group and GTMC around 2015

Nov.

Prius PHV unveiled (launched in January 2012 in Japan, in March 2012 in the U.S., in the summer of 2012 in Europe)

Dec.

Production of third-generation Prius commenced at SFTM's Changchun Plant in China; Aqua launched

2012

Jan.

Completely redesigned Lexus GS 450h unveiled (launched in March)

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 Kuozui Motor's Kuanying Plant, Taiwan commenced

Apr.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 4 million mark

May

Yaris Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan)

Jul.

Start of Lexus RX 450h production at TMMC's Cambridge Plant in early 2014 announced; Lexus ES 300h launched (for sale outside Japan)

Oct.

Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales in Japan top 2 million mark

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales from January through October 2012 top 1 million mark

Nov.

Completely redesigned Auris Hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan)

Dec.

Completely redesigned Crown hybrid unveiled (launched in January 2013, Japan only); Avalon hybrid launched (for sale outside Japan)

2013

Mar.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 5 million mark

May

Lexus IS 300h launched

Jun.

Cumulative global Prius sales top 3 million units

Aug.

Corolla Axio Hybrid and Corolla Fielder Hybrid launched (Japan only)

Sep.

Crown Majesta (only hybrid version available) launched (Japan only)

Oct.

Lexus GS 300h launched

Nov.

Completely redesigned Harrier Hybrid unveiled (launched in January 2014)

Dec.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 6 million mark

2014

Jan.

Voxy Hybrid and Noah Hybrid launched (Japan only)

Feb.

Highlander Hybrid production commenced at Indiana Plant in the U.S.

Mar.

Lexus RX 450h production commenced at TMMC's Cambridge Plant in the U.S.

Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales in Japan top 3 million mark

Apr.

Plan to start sales of Corolla and Levin models equipped with China-produced major hybrid components in 2015 announced at Beijing Motor Show

Jul.

Toyota Motor (Changshu) Auto Parts Co., Ltd. In China holds opening ceremony; production of hybrid transaxles to start in 2015

Lexus NX 300h launched in Japan (sales outside Japan began in October)

Sep.

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 7 million mark

Oct.

Lexus RC300h launched

Esquire hybrid launched (Japan only)

2015

Jan.

Completely redesigned Alphard hybrid and Vellfire hybrid launched

Apr.

RAV4 Hybrid announced at New York International Auto Show

Jul.

Sienta hybrid launched

Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 8 million mark

 

 

About Toyota Canada Inc.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles.  Toyota has sold over 4.6 million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 285 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships.  Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability in the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive.  TCI’s head office is located in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver.  Toyota operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than six million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid.

 

###

Every effort has been made to ensure the product specifications, equipment, and content on this site are accurate based on information available at time of publishing. In some cases, certain changes in standard equipment or options may occur, which may not be reflected online. Toyota Canada reserves the rights to make these changes without notice or obligation.