25 April 2002: Global cumulative sales of Toyota hybrid vehicles have topped the 100,000 mark, with nearly 103,000 units sold by the end of March this year, representing a 90% share of the world hybrid vehicle market.

The road to this milestone largely began in December 1997, when Toyota marketed the petrol/electric Prius passenger sedan, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, in Japan, which had sold more than 33,000 units by the end of 1999.

The Prius debuted in the North American market in June 2000, soon followed by the start of sales in Europe in September of that same year. The Prius is now sold in more than 20 countries worldwide.

Toyota's hybrid vehicle line-up in Japan has grown to include the Estima Hybrid MPV, which came out in June 2001, and a mild hybrid version of the Crown luxury saloon, released the following August.

Key hybrid components in the Prius include an Atkinson cycle engine, a drive-power-supplying nickel-metal hydride battery and an electrically controlled transmission that serves as a continuously variable transmission. The Estima Hybrid’s electric 4WD and comprehensive four-wheel drive-and-braking control are world firsts for a mass-produced vehicle, and so is the Crown mild hybrid’s practical application of a 42V electrical system.

Toyota intends to continue actively developing hybrid systems, including those incorporating fuel cells.

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