World September 2014: Toyota sells 7 millionth hybrid vehicle

7 million units later… (1997 Toyota Prius)

Toyota confirmed it sold its 7 millionth hybrid vehicle worldwide in September, 17 years after first launching the Prius in Japan in 1997. The total includes 3.3 million sold in Japan, 2.5 million in the United States, 770,000 in Europe and more than 67,000 in Australia. The latest one-million sales were achieved in record time – just nine months after Toyota (including Lexus) reached the six-million hybrid threshold in December last year, which doubled the three million total passed in February 2011.

Globally, Prius accounts for almost half the overall total with 3.36 million sales – making it the world’s best-selling hybrid vehicle. TMC estimates its hybrid vehicles have cut carbon-dioxide emissions by approximately 49 million tonnes and saved approximately 18 million kilo-litres of fuel compared with vehicles of similar size and driving performance using petrol-only engines. (Number of registered vehicles × distance travelled × fuel efficiency (actual fuel efficiency in each country) × CO₂ conversion factor. Fuel consumption varies depending on driving conditions / style, vehicle conditions and options/accessories.) Next year, Toyota will start selling its first mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid vehicle in Japan, Europe and the United States.

See Toyota’s hybrid vehicle chronology below.