Toyota sells One-Millionth Prius in the US
06 April 2011
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS),USA, Inc., announced the one-millionth sale of the Toyota Prius in the United States. It is the third million-class milestone for Toyota’s hybrid lineup in the last six months that started with the announcement of worldwide Toyota Prius sales topping two million in October 2010 and overall global Toyota hybrid sales passing three million last month.
Since the Prius went on sale eleven years ago not a year has gone by when it hasn’t been the number one selling hybrid vehicle in the US. Prius has become synonymous with the word hybrid and as we see fuel prices starting to rise again, it has accounted for more than 60 percent of hybrid passenger car sales so far this year.
—Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager
More than 97% of all Toyota Prii sold since 2000 are still on the road, Toyota says.
Since it was introduced in the US in 2000, Prius, when compared to the average car, has saved American consumers more than an estimated 881 million gallons of gas, $2.19 billion in fuel costs, and 12.4 million tons of CO2 emissions.
In January 2011 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota debuted the Prius v, the first vehicle to be debuted as part of the Prius family marketing strategy. Prius v, which goes on sale in third quarter of 2011, is a mid-size vehicle that provides more than 50% additional interior cargo space than the current Prius. In early 2012 Prius will launch two more Prius family members—the Prius c compact hybrid vehicle and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle.
"Prius, when compared to the average car, has saved American consumers more than an estimated 881 million gallons of gas, $2.19 billion in fuel costs, and 12.4 million tons of CO2 emissions."
THESE are the numbers that must be rattled in front of the public. Imagine how much better these numbers will be when 1M EVs are on the road. Good work Prius!
Posted by: Reel$$ | 06 April 2011 at 04:08 AM
Imagine if GM hadn't crushed EVs/CARB laws and we already also had a dozen years of commercialized battery EVs, national charging networks, and improvements.
A dozen years of an increasingly economical oil alternative would have saved TENS of $billions in fuel costs - maybe even saved $trillions without fueling Gulf War II.
Posted by: kelly | 06 April 2011 at 07:44 AM
Yes Reel$$ and Kelly, we could have done a lot better in the last 35 years or so or since 1973 oil crisis but we did not. Had we improved ICEV 35 years ago instead of making them worse gas guzzlers and simultaneously introduce HEVs/PHEVs and BEVs, the world would be different today.
Imagine the world without the Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya wars; even without 9/11, corn ethanol, high food prices and the on-going WB 2007 financial crisis.
We have shot ourselves in the foot and keep doing it.
Posted by: HarveyD | 06 April 2011 at 08:00 AM
Gloomers beware! Your indulgence and prophesy of gloom WILL manifest in YOUR life! I too could wallow in the past, moan about "coulda, woulda, shoulda" - but I don't wallow well;)
We ARE making very good progress as witnessed by the 1M Prii sold in the USA. And YES, the transition to non-fossil energy will have an ameliorative effect on foreign wars and defense of strategic resources. In fact, once energy resources are removed from the strategic defense profile - only religion remains to fight about. Not my assignment.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 06 April 2011 at 10:26 AM
@HarveyD,
As long as Big Defense and Big Oil are putting their people in the White House and Congress, we (the US) are going to use oil to the last drop before any signicant renewable energy can happen...and there will be US-involved wars til the end of time. The huge annual defense budget is almost untouchable! All gov. talks of renewable energy and world peace are lip service and tokenism!
Posted by: Roger Pham | 06 April 2011 at 02:16 PM
Strictly speaking there will be US-involved wars only until the end of the US. We have been warned.
Posted by: richard schumacher | 06 April 2011 at 05:41 PM
If all million are still on the highway they have helped reduce oil imports 0.1%, I don't mean to be a buzz kill, but that is how HUGE the situation is.
Posted by: SJC | 09 April 2011 at 10:12 AM