Not wanting Ford to steal all the hybrid hype of the day, Toyota announced on Wednesday that Toyota and Lexus hybrid sales have topped the 1 million mark in the United States. Toyota and Lexus market a total of six hybrid vehicles in the U.S., including the wildly popular Prius.
Thanks to the early success of the Prius, about 75 percent of all hybrids sold in the U.S. over the last decade have been produced by Toyota. Remarkably, Toyota’s hybrids topped the 1 million mark in less than nine years.
“One million hybrids in less than nine years indicates how quickly American consumers have accepted this important technology,†said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales president. “Toyota’s hybrid leadership will continue to expand in the U.S. and around the globe.â€
Toyota will launch 10 new hybrid models globally by 2012 and has set the goal of selling 1 million hybrid vehicles annually by early next decade. Worldwide, Toyota has sold 1.7 million hybrids.
