Successful decade for the Prius

22 January 2008

The world’s most popular eco-friendly car is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Since the first generation Toyota Prius went on sale in Japan at the end of 1997, more than 900,000 have been sold around the world – more than 81,000 in Europe alone.

Even though Prius has pioneered many new technologies - most notably its Toyota Hybrid System (THS) powertrain - it has proved enormously popular with motorists, thanks to its environmental credentials, versatility, ease of use and low running costs.

Arguably the world’s cleanest family car, it boasts carbon dioxide emissions of just 104g/km and has an official combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 65.7mpg.

The UK remains an important market for Prius, with more than 16,000 first and second generation versions sold.

Its sales and profile have been boosted by exemption from the London congestion charge and lower parking permit charges in some local authority areas.

As the world’s best-selling hybrid power vehicle, the Prius has become a standard bearer for Toyota’s commitment to building cars that have a less harmful impact on the environment, from the manufacturing process, through customer ownership to final end-of-life disposal.

As a result of its success and the commitment of Toyota Motor Corporation to the environment, the company has steadily expanded its hybrid model range to include SUVs, MPVs and luxury saloons in both its Toyota and Lexus ranges.