Toyota’s seven million hybrids

Japanese car giant’s global hybrid vehicle sales reach new milestone in record time.

By the end of September, the total number of Toyota and Lexus hybrids reached 7.053m worldwide – a rise of a million cars in just nine months.

Toyota’s hybrid range is continuing to grow, with 28 different car models (including the Prius Plug-in hybrid) currently sold in more than 90 countries and regions.

In 2014-2015, 15 new hybrids will be added to the range including the new Lexus NX 300h crossover and RC 300h coupe in the UK.

Toyota claims that as of September 30, Toyota hybrid vehicles have reduced the amount of CO2 entering the atmosphere (believed to be a cause of global warming) by approximately 49 million tonnes, compared to the impact of the same number of equivalent petrol-powered vehicles.

The car maker also estimates its hybrids have saved around 18,000 million litres of petrol.

Toyota started hybrid vehicle production in August 1997 with the launch in Japan of the Coast Hybrid EV bus, followed in December by the first generation Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car. The Prius then kick-started the UK hybrid market when it was launched in 2000.