When he got up in the morning of November 11th, Victor Dugonics was already excited. A few days before, Toyota Deutschland GmbH (TDG) had called him to let him know he was the millionth customer in Europe to choose a hybrid from the Toyota group. Victor came to hybrid through his work. The company he works for has hybrid buses and he got to drive them. He was interested to switch to hybrid for the environmental performance and the quietness these cars offer.
Indeed, Victor is not alone. In August, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that Toyota and Lexus combined had sold more than eight million hybrid cars worldwide since the launch of the Toyota Prius in 1997. In comparison to equivalent cars with conventional drive systems, the hybrid vehicles contributed to a global saving of some 58 million tons of CO2.
Toyota has democratized hybrid and will continue to do so by adding a further new Hybrid model, the RAV4 Hybrid in January next year. The CH-R concept featured at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September is bound for production and will also feature a hybrid powertrain. Toyota has the widest hybrid range in the world and aims to introduce a hybrid model in every segment by 2020.
Toyota Hybrid Vehicle Chronology
Year | Month | Milestone |
1997 | Dec | Prius launch |
2007 | May | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 1 million mark |
2009 | Aug | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 2 million mark |
2010 | Jun | Auris Hybrid production commenced at TMUK’s Burnaston Plant, UK |
2011 | Feb | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 3 million mark |
2011 | Aug | Prius sales in Japan top 1 million mark |
2012 | Apr | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 4 million mark |
2012 | May | Yaris Hybrid production commenced at TMMF’s Valenciennes Plant, France |
2013 | Mar | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 5 million mark |
2013 | Dec | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 6 million mark |
2014 | Sep | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 7 million mark |
2015 | Jul | Cumulative global hybrid vehicle sales top 8 million mark |
2015 | Oct | Cumulative European hybrid vehicle sales top 1 million mark |
2015 | Oct | Toyota Yaris Hybrid: 200,000 units produced in Valenciennes |
