Toyota Prius Hybrid Sales Top 500,000
Thursday, June 8th, 2006
Toyota Motor Co.’s energy-saving hybrid Prius car has surpassed the half-million mark in worldwide sales, the Japanese automaker’s US subsidiary said. More than half the sales of the world’s first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid vehicle — 266,212 — have been in the massive US market.
The Toyota Prius was launched in Japan in late 1997 and entered the US market in July 2000 as a niche market vehicle popular with environmentalists and Hollywood stars.
Sales picked up in the fall of 2003 with a second-generation model and grew to more than 107,000 units in 2005.
The successful launch of the Prius encouraged Toyota to expand its hybrid technology to existing models in the Toyota and Lexus lineups, Toyota said.
In April 2005, the Lexus division introduced the RX 400h, the world’s first hybrid-powered luxury vehicle. A year later the Lexus GS 450h made its debut followed by the Toyota Highlander Hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) in June 2005 and the Camry Hybrid in April 2006.
Cumulative worldwide sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles topped 600,000 units through March of this year, with global Prius sales reaching 504,700 at the end of April, Toyota said.
Lexus will further expand its hybrid lineup in April 2007 with the launch of the LS 600h L luxury hybrid sedan, the world’s first vehicle to feature a full-hybrid V8 powertrain.
Tags: prius, toyota prius, prius hybrid, toyota hybrid
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