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

Toyota Motor Corporation 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 Motor Corporation is proud to announce that it has now sold over 8 million hybrid vehicles, 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 tons of CO2 emissions 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. In the Indian context 58 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions is about 3.55% of total CO2 emissions in India. 22 million kiloliters of gasoline saved compared to the amount used by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar sizes., is around 13.3% of India’s annual Oil import.

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.

In India Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) created history by launching the first ever locally manufactured hybrid – Camry Hybrid, in Aug 2013. Globally India is the 9th country and/or region to manufacture Toyota hybrid vehicles. After the launch of the all new Camry hybrid in May 2015, the popularity of the Camry Hybrid has only grown further. At present Camry Hybrid constitutes more than 80% of the total Camry sales in India (also sold with gasoline engine), testimony to hybrid’s growing acceptance in India.

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

  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
	*1 Figures as of July, 2015 and based on Toyota data; *2 Production 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)
	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)

Year	Month	Milestone
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