Worldwide Prius sales top 3 million mark

Toyota City, Japan, July 3, 2013: Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has announced that as of the end of June, worldwide cumulative sales of the Prius petrol-electric hybrid vehicle passed the 3 million mark.. In 1997, Toyota launched the Prius, which was the world’s first mass-production hybrid passenger car. The second generation followed in 2003, and the third generation in 2009.

From the first to third generation, TMC reduced the cost of the hybrid system by two-thirds and reduced CO2 emissions from 114 g/km to 89 g/km (measured using the EU Combined Driving Cycle). In addition, TMC applied for 1,261 patents relating to the third-generation Prius.

Since the development of the first-generation Prius, the carmaker has positioned hybrid technology as a core technology required for the development of various types of environment-friendly vehicles and has placed emphasis on the development and production of core components such as motors, inverters, batteries, and electronic control units (ECUs), giving rise to substantial investment in Japan. TMC says it will continue to conduct R&D and invest in facilities in Japan for the development of hybrid and other cutting-edge technologies and achieve sustainable growth by deploying these Japan-developed technologies across the globe.

In the fiscal year ending March 2014, TMC expects to spend a consolidated JPY 890 billion (Rs 52,510 crore) on environmental technology development, as well as on strengthening new platform and major component development.

In the same period, TMC also plans to make consolidated capital expenditure investments of JPY 910 billion (up seven percent year-on-year), with JPY 440 billion invested in Japan (up nine percent year-on-year).

Investments in R&D infrastructure include a new R&D facility (651 hectares) and the Powertrain Development and Production Engineering Building (a 12-storey structure with a total floor area of 100,000 square metres) in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, that will serve as a next-generation powertrain development base, as well as the Aerodynamics Laboratory (capable of producing winds of 250kph) located in the Honsha Technical Center.