Toyota Hybrids Pass 4 Million In Global Sales

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U.S. automakers still remain some way behind their Asian competitors, although sales of the Ford Fusion helped the company set a new record for hybrid sales in 2009. Ford reported hybrid sales up 67 percent on the previous year, a trend which reflects serious consumer interest in American-made hybrid gas-electric vehicles.

Even so, Ford still has some way to go before it catches up with Toyota, which currently sells 18 hybrid passenger vehicles in 80 countries and regions around the world.

2012_Toyota_Prius_Plugin_001

image via Toyota

As well as the Prius Family, Toyota’s other U.S. hybrid models include versions of the Camry and Highlander, which feature larger displacement applications of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive.

According to Toyotas calculations its total sales of hybrid vehicles globally since 1997 have contributed to a 26 million ton reduction in C02 emissions than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance.

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Posted on June 3rd, 2012 · Comment ↓

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Posted in Featured, Hybrids, Transportation

  • Design

    What happens to the batteries when they have to be replaced?

    • Pete

      Green Auto Blog did an excellent post on that earlier this year (http://green.autoblog.com/2012/01/05/replacing-prius-batteries-can-be-good-for-the-environment-and/). Key excerpt:

      “When a Prius battery pack reaches end of life, Toyota
      provides a UPS shipping container so the battery can be sent to a recycling
      center. For U.S. cars, that center is in California. The batteries are shorted
      out to prevent accidents with any remaining charge, then all of the components
      are disassembled. The plastic case is shredded and recycled. The electrolyte is
      decanted and the rare earth elements recovered. The nickel plates are sent to a
      smelter where they are used in making steel. All the components of the pack are
      recycled or reused, leaving nothing to go to the landfill. The same recycler is
      already equipped to deal with the lithium batteries found on the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and plug-in Prius.”

  • Sonata

    Wrong!!!
    The Sonata Hybrid is made in Korea!

    • Pete

      Sonata — You’re absolutely correct. Our apologies for the error, which has now been fixed.

      Pete Danko
      EarthTechling

  • Vascopolis

    I DON’T UNDERSTAND…

    Ecconomy? Your gasoline goes to zero and your electric bill skyrockets…
    Clean Air? Trade off (low) auto emmissions for massive coal fired, oil fired and atomic power plant emmissions and dangers which ZERO OUT ANY GAIN.
    Reduce depency on oild ??? NO WAY, instead of burning a gallon in the car, you burn a gallon at the power plant.

    AND, currently, as gas stations are prevalent, and charging stations are not, you “waste” electricity getting to a charging location out-of-the-way.

    So…………. WHY?