Third Date: 2015 Toyota Prius V

With more interior room and a garage-friendly footprint that’s not too much bigger than the standard Prius, the 2015 Toyota Prius V is winning us over pretty quickly. Would the extra cargo-hauling capacity punish us at the pump, though?

How Was It?

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In many ways, driving the larger Toyota Prius V was a lot like driving a regular Prius, but better. Whilethe standard Prius reminds you, constantly, that its 1.8 liter Hybrid Synergy Drive power plant was not taken out of a performance car, the Prius V somehow manages to feel capable of smoothly accelerating up to highway speeds. It’s a bit of a mystery, considering both the “regular” Prius andPrius V carry on with the same drive train- and the difference is noticeable enough that I actually went to Toyota’s site to compare the power outputs of the two models.

I suspect there is some software trickery afoot that’s giving the Toyota Prius V a more aggressive throttle tip-in than its more tightly-packed siblings, but I can’t prove it. Instead, I’ll simply say that “it was better than the regular Prius.”

The interior of the 2015 Prius V, also, felt bigger and more open than I expected a “Prius wagon” to feel. I was also impressed that Toyota went to the effort of designing a whole new interior for the car, instead of just re-using the standard Prius’ bits. GM and Mercedes could learn a lot on that point.

What Do I Expect Now?

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  Plenty of leg room.

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One thing I’ll say about the folding rear seats of the Prius V that I definitely can’t say about, for example, the Chevy Trax, is that this could easily be a multi-kid car. Even with one of the 60/40 rear bench seats folded down, you could reasonably fit 2 kids back there (albeit, snugly). With the rear seats up, there is plenty of cargo room in the back of the Prius V for groceries, strollers, diaper bags … I even got a set of drag wheels to fit back there!

Add in better than expected fuel economy and, well- we’ll see how I feel by the end of the week, I guess. So far, though, the 2015 Toyota Prius V seems like a winner!

2015 Toyota Prius Five (not V)

When Toyota dropped off the Barcelona Red Prius Five, I was a bit confused that I wasn’t going to be driving the Prius V. “I thought you were dropping off the van one,” I said to the driver. “You know which one I’m talking about? The Prius ‘V’?”

“That’s what the last guy (who drove it) said, too!” he chuckled.

So, here we are. Instead of the still relatively new-and-different Prius V people-mover, we have a 2015 Toyota Prius. A nice car, but a nice car which- apart from snazzier headlights and some swoopier sheetmetal- didn’t seem to be all that different from the wife’s 2nd-gen Prius.

Or, was it?

Inside the 2015 Toyota Prius Five

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  Still slow, though.

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The biggest visual difference between the 2nd-generation Prius and the newest 2015 model is in the dashboard. New for 2010, the third-generation Prius introduced the more organic, “swept” look for Toyota interiors (above) that has since influenced the designs of the new-for-2014 Corolla, 2015 Camry, and the upcoming 2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car. Comparing the 2015 car to the 2nd-gen, then, would be tough. Luckily, my mother-in-law’s 2012 Prius was also handy- and it was here, with a visually similar interior, that the improved plastics, textures, and leather seating materials of the Prius Five really stood out.

In the 2015 Five, the dash and door plastics have a sort of “wave” pattern etched into them. The effect is almost invisible at a casual glance, but is tactilely rewarding to the touch and gives the whole interior a very artsy, Japanese sort of feel.

Also worth noting was the LATCH-placement in the rear seats of the third-generation car. For some, non-obvious reason, these easily accepted my daughter’s rear-facing Recaro seat, which is something that the second-generation car simply won’t do.

Driving the 2015 Toyota Prius Five

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  The energy monitor said we were doing well …

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Despite the many detail improvements over the 2nd generation Prius, the 2015 Toyota Prius Five still drives like a golf cart. An under-powered golf cart, in fact, and not in the same sort of giddy fun way that the Chevy Spark feels like a golf cart. In EV mode, the Prius leaves the line slowly. It gets up to speed slowly, too, without any hint of the “on demand torque” that EV enthusiasts (myself, included) often cite as the best thing about driving an electric vehicle.

That’s not to say that the Prius is a bad car. Sure, it’s a slow car, but the Prius effectively took my family all over the Chicagoland area for some early holiday shopping in reasonably-spacious, climate-controlled comfort. So, while the performance was a bit of a let down, that’s forgivable in a car that is definitely not about performance.

What wasn’t forgivable, in my case, was the Prius’ fuel economy- since I never got close to the car’s claimed 51/48 MPG figures (according to the car’s “ECO Savings Record” dash function).

We never took a trip- even around town- that returned better than 46 MPG. That was surprising, given that the last high-MPG Toyota products we tested all exceeded the manufacturer’s claimed fuel economy figures in my real-world testing (as much as Oak Park is the real world, anyway).

Final Thoughts on the 2015 Toyota Prius Five

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If you put a sporty-car enthusiast behind the wheel of a new Prius for a few days, then ask him/her what they thought of it, they’d report a miserable, slow, and insipid driving experience. This isn’t a car for enthusiasts- and that’s OK, because enthusiasts (and journalists) don’t buy new cars.

The people who do buy new cars- the people who matter to Toyota, in other words- can’t get enough of the Prius. Further, the sales manager at my local Toyota dealer told me that the pricey, top-of-the-line Five model was the fastest-selling version of Prius. “We can’t keep them on the lot,” he said, more-or-less confirming that people who buy Prii don’t necessarily do so to save money.

So, the big question: should you buy a 2015 or wait for the new 2016 model? As for us, when it came time to buy her next car, the wife picked out one of the new, AWD Volvo wagons for its all-wheel-drive, bigger cargo capacity, and its superior performance and horsepower. So, make of that what you will.

Source: Gas2

Will GM Offer A Five-Seat Hybrid Or Volt To Target Prius V, Ford C-Max?

With the anticipated launch of the revised 2016 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car now less than a year away, expectations are that it will be a compact hatchback similar to the current model.

Whether it has four or five seats remains up in the air, though the addition of a fifth seat would clearly bring more buyers than the current, somewhat snug four-seat model.

2014 Chevrolet Volt

The challenge in adding a fifth position lies in the Volt's current T-shaped battery pack, which fits inside a wide tunnel between the left and right sets of seats.

If the new 2016 Volt only has four seats, it would be at a capacity disadvantage against the Toyota Prius V, the Ford C-Max Hybrid and Energi models, and other high-mileage family five-seaters.

Forgotten concept

But there's a different alternative too: What if GM were to offer a second Volt model in a taller package that could seat five by putting the rear seat on top of the battery pack?

Such a vehicle was shown in China, as the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 Concept, back in 2010--and then it vanished from the auto-show circuit and hasn't been seen again.

That concept seated five and offered 30 cubic feet of cargo volume in a package larger than the existing Volt. While its 108.6-inch wheelbase was only 0.6 inches longer, the MPV5 Concept was 7 inches longer, almost 3 inches wider, and a full 7 inches taller than the five-door Volt now on sale.

2011 Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept, Unveiled at 2010 Beijing Motor Show

That there may be more than one Volt is also supported by a Reuters article from two weeks ago.

That piece, however, suggested that the second model might be a less-expensive, lower-range Volt.

Significant spy shots?

Still, spy shots on Autoblog last July indicate that GM may well be developing a five-seat compact "tall hatchback" to compete with the Prius wagon and C-Max--but it may not use the Voltec powertrain. Instead, it could be a more conventional hybrid that doesn't plug in.

Those shots showed a development mule, using the company's existing Chevrolet Orlando compact tall people mover, testing a powertrain that included a high-voltage battery pack.

The test car doesn't, however, appear to have a charging port.

And using a smaller hybrid battery pack would eliminate the challenges of packaging a Volt-capacity battery while maintaining adequate cargo volume--an issue for which the Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid has been slammed.

Built on Cruze underpinnings, the Orlando is sold in Canada and on other continents--but it was never brought to the U.S.

2011 Chevrolet Orlando

More compact models to come

GM's mass-market brand is developing multiple vehicles on an updated platform that was introduced at last week's BeijingAuto Show, in the form of an all-new Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan.

That car will arrive in the U.S. as a 2016 model, but its underpinnings will undoubtedly spawn several other vehicles--including the next generation of Orlando.

Compact tall hatchbacks like the Chevy Orlando and Ford C-Max are a very popular global segment, even if their U.S. sales aren't particularly stellar at the moment.

The puzzlement lies in a basic technology question: What hybrid system would GM use?

Full hybrid--from where?

To get truly notable gas-mileage ratings--40 mpg or more combined--it would have to be a full hybrid, not the company's eAssist mild hybrid.

And GM appears to have given up on downsizing its large, sophisticated, and brutally expensive Two-Mode Hybrid system designed for full-size SUVs and pickup trucks.

So is the company developing an all-new hybrid system, using elements of the Voltec powertrain and a smaller battery pack that doesn't plug in?

Given that it has a technology partnership with Honda on hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles--which contains language saying it could be extended to other technologies--might it be using Honda's new two-motor hybrid system, as seen in the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid?

General Motors, predictably, declined to comment on any of the speculation.

Source: Green Car Reports

Honda Odyssey Hybrid Could Double Minivan’s MPG

A Honda Odyssey Hybrid is being considered by top brass at the Japanese automaker, offering twice as many MPGs as the current crop of family haulers. While there are challenges to building a hybrid minivan, such a vehicle could boast Prius-rivaling fuel economy.

The Toyota Prius V is currently a fan favorite for those seeking a high-MPG minivan-type vehicle, though the Honda Odyssey is among the best-selling minivans in America. While powertrain engineer Takashi Shinichi said such a vehicle isn’t yet under development, it seems like a no brainer to me. But then again, I’m not a vehicle engineer.

Engineers have to worry about problems like the Odyssey’s low-hanging, flat floor, which makes ingress and egress easy but makes hiding a battery bank difficult. For this reason, a plug-in hybrid Honda Odyssey is a non-starter, as you can’t exactly take up space in the minivan’s trunk area either. Families find a way to use every inch of storage space in these vehicles, and Honda knows it. I’m certain this is one of the main reasons no major automaker has given America a hybrid minivan yet.

However, a hybrid Honda minivan could effectively double the Odyssey’s MPG from 22 combined to around 44 combined, and that’s on the U.S. standard. Seem far fetched? Keep in mind that the Toyota Prius V, which was unveiled over three years ago has a combined MPG rating of 42 MPG. Honda has been slowly-but-surely catching up with Toyota in the MPG game, but they haven’t been able to go toe-to-toe with the Prius yet, which is due to get a major redesign soon.

A hybrid minivan could be the winning hand Honda needs to tip the scales in their favor.

Source: CarAdvice.com.au

Toyota Prius is 2012's second-most searched car on Autoweek

Searches don't equal purchases, but there's a lot of interest in the Toyota Prius out there – if not quite so much as for iconic muscle cars with horses on them. Hybrid Cars notes that the Prius was the second-most-searched-for model on Autoweek this year, trailing only the Ford Mustang and coming in ahead of theChevrolet Corvette.

While Autoweek readers tend to put more of an emphasis on speed and performance that green credentials,Hybrid Cars says the lofty ranking of the Prius reflects a car that's reached "cult status" in the US. WithToyota being the first to mass-market a hybrid, the Prius has become as much a personal statement as it is a way to combat both rising gas prices and auto emissions.

That said, US Prius sales, which have surged 81 percent this year, have dwarfed those of the Mustang. The hybrid was the best-selling car in California and through November, Toyota sold almost 217,000 Prius variants, including almost 135,000 of the standard hatchback and more than 32,000 each of the Prius V wagon and Prius C compact. By comparison, Mustang sales through November totaled 77,458 units, up 18 percent from a year earlier.


Source: Autoblog Green

Auto Analyst Baum, NRDC Dub 2012 "The Year of the Green Car," Debunk Attacks on High-MPG Vehicles

PRESS RELEASE

Separating Fact From Fiction: Model Year and Calendar Year 2012 Are Best Ever For Greenest Vehicles

Washington, D.C. – October 31, 2012 – It's time to give unfairly maligned green cars the respect they earned in a major way in 2012, according to auto analyst Alan L. Baum and Natural Resources Defense Council senior vehicles analyst Luke Tonachel.

"The facts are in: consumers now have more opportunities and they are indeed buying green, fuel-efficient vehicles across the market spectrum, from small cars to midsize cars, minivans, CUVs/SUVs, and pickups," Alan L. Baum, principal of Baum & Associates, said. "They are buying cleaner vehicles that use less gas to go just as far, helping reduce America's dependence on oil while cleaning up our air. This is an important shift that moves us toward meeting the new federal standards to increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025."

Based on a new analysis released by Baum & Associates, Baum and Tonachel deflated the recent attacks in news media stories on green cars by citing the following facts:

Model year 2012 fuel efficiency for new vehicles hit an all-time high. The sales-weighted average fuel economy of new passenger vehicles for model year 2012 was 23.6 MPG, up more than 1 MPG from the previous record high of 22.5 MPG set in 2011. This was the single biggest one-year increase in MPG in the past five years. Calendar year-to-date 2012 fuel efficiency is even higher: an average of 23.8 MPG through September. (Fuel economy data is derived from the research of Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle (University of Michigan) at http://www.umich.edu/%7Eumtriswt/EDI_sales-weighted-mpg.html.)

Higher average fuel efficiency for model year 2012 is a good thing for the American auto industry, rather than a reflection of falling sales. Auto sales for the 2012 model year reached 14.1 million units, an increase of more than 10 percent (1.7 million) from the previous model year. In the recent past, major increases in fleet fuel efficiency were generally marked by rapid decreases in vehicle sales. For example, the three-year period from 1980 to 1982 saw increases of 3.3, 1.3 and 0.6 MPG respectively, but vehicle sales declined by 2.5 million, 750,000, and 820,000, respectively. Similarly, over the two-year period from 2007 to 2009, fleet fuel efficiency jumped 1.8 MPG, but annual vehicle sales dropped by over 5.7 million. The uncoupling of rising average MPG and falling auto sales in model year 2012 was due in large part to much wider availability of vehicles with higher fuel economy.

The number of high-MPG vehicles available to consumers is rising rapidly. Popular vehicle nameplates with improved efficiency more than doubled from model year 2009 (28) to model year 2013 (61). Fewer than a third (17) of the model year 2013 vehicles with higher MPG are compacts or subcompacts, contrary to the assumption made by many that the only high MPG cars are "small cars."

Hybrids and plug-in electric car sales are on track to top half a million units for the first time in a calendar year (2012) and a model year (2013). This strong performance directly debunks the linked (and equally mistaken) notions that (1) consumers don't want higher MPG vehicles and (2) there is no demand for the high-end technology that powers the highest MPG-vehicles.
Alan L. Baum, principal, Baum & Associates, said: "The just-ended 2012 model year has resulted in a record high in fuel efficiency for new vehicles. These results indicate that, contrary to some news accounts, consumers are voting with their pocketbooks and going beyond their intent to buy high MPG vehicles to making actual purchases. Furthermore, they don't need to make compromises given the choices that are being offered. In reality, this was a banner year for the greenest cars and 2013 is shaping up to be even brighter. Plug-in electric vehicle sales are still a small niche but the number of new product offerings coming and the growing availability of these vehicles suggest that growth will continue."

Luke Tonachel, senior vehicles analyst, Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "Those in news media stories who seek to obscure the fact that 2012 is 'The Year of the Green Car' are ignoring what the facts show about consumer demand for high MPG vehicles, the transformative impact of the 54.5 MPG federal fuel efficiency standards, and the major strides made by automakers to embrace and develop MPG-boosting technology advances. Those, according to press reports, who bash green cars fail to recognize that the U.S. auto marketplace has been remade in the last few years and that the old days of gas-guzzling, low MPG vehicles are, thankfully, a thing of the increasingly distant past."

The Baum analysis is available online at http://www.baum-assoc.com/.

Ford C-Max Hybrid is Blue Oval's best-selling hybrid in first month of sales

The bad news is that the Ford C-Max Hybrid wagon was solidly beaten by sales of the Toyota Prius V last month. The good news is the C-Max outsold all of Ford's other hybrids in its very first month, hinting that things could get real interesting between the C-Max and V in the future. Ford has been heavily touting the C-Max Hybrid as an alternative to the Prius V, and we're about to get real data on if that approach is working.

Ford moved 969 C-Max Hybrids in September, edging out the Fusion Hybrid, with 898 sold, and the Lincoln MKZ, with 781. Granted, the C-Max fell short of the Prius V's September sales of 1,652 vehicles. Still, the C-Max eclipsed the Ford Fusion Hybrid's debut-month sales of 402 units in March 2009 (the Fusion moved 1,073 units the following month). And the Lincoln MKZ, in its debut month of September 2010, moved just ten units, followed by sales of 366 units in October 2010. Looks like Ford is getting better at making hybrids people want to buy.

In June, Ford said that the C-Max would beat the Prius V's combined fuel economy of 42 miles per gallon combined, and in August made good on that promise by getting a 47-mpg rating across the board. The C-Max, with its $25,995 base price, also undercuts the Prius V by $500. The automaker started taking orders for the C-Max Hybrid in May and has been directly targeting the V in press releases and commercials. In fact, today Ford released three new commercials for the C-Max, some of them directly attacking the V. You can watch them below.

C-MAX "Be Great" Commercial

C-MAX "Be Great" Commercial.

C-MAX "Hybrid Games" Commercial; Liftgate

The digital component of the C-MAX advertising launch, titled "Hybrid Games," shows the C-MAX family versus the Toyota Prius line-up in a series of head-to-head challenges. Two announcers narrate the challenges in the entertaining and engaging videos series.

C-MAX "Wheeee" Commercial

C-MAX "Wheeee" Commercial.

Source: Autoblog Green

Toyota Prius now third-most-popular car in the world... sort of

Think you're seeing more Toyota Prius models on the road these days? Well, you are.

Automotive News is reporting that all those increased Prius sales in the U.S. and Japan (see here and here and here and here etc.) have turned the Prius into the world's third-best-selling car model for the first three months of 2012. During the first quarter, the Prius sold 247,230 copies around the world. The only cars that sold more during that time were the Toyota Corolla (300,800) and the Ford Focus (277,000).

There's an asterisk on the Prius' sales figures, though. Much of that new success is due to the fact that there are a brace of new Prius models, namely the C, V and Plug-in – that have expanded the line, with the C being the "car of the moment in Japan," according to Automotive News. Sales in the U.S. were up 42 percent in the first quarter. The new models and the increased sales make up what AN calls a "Prius surge," one that could be capacity constrained in the States. AN writes that the sales pace could reach 250,000 units, but Toyota only has 220,000 units assigned to the market. More vehicles have been ordered, a Toyota exec says, but whether or not they arrive is uncertain. After last year's production issues, though, this is the good kind of problem to have.


Source: Autoblog Green

Toyota sells 8,400 Prius V wagons in U.S. during first 10 weeks

Toyota sold more Prius V hybrid wagons in the U.S. during the model's first 10 weeks of availability than General Motors sold of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid all last year, Bloomberg News reported, citing Toyota spokeswoman Carly Schaffner.

Toyota sold about 8,400 of the hybrid wagons since late October. That's roughly 700 more than the number of Volts sold in 2011, even though a GM spokesman told Bloomberg that comparing sales of the Prius V to the Volt was "ridiculous" because of the different drivetrain technologies. Plus, the Prius V's base price is about $13,000 less than the Volt's $39,145 pricetag, though most Volt buyers can get a $7,500 tax credit.

Toyota's looking to boost U.S. sales of the Prius, by far the world's most popular line of hybrids, by about 60 percent this year to 220,000 vehicles with the flagship sedan – now called the Liftback – as well as with the Prius V and the C compact and plug-in versions that are set to debut later this year. U.S. Prius sales dropped 3.2 percent – to about 136,500 vehicles – last year, in large part to supply issues stemming from the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last March.


Source: Autoblog Green

Is There a Toyota Prius V plug-in hybrid in the works?

2012 Toyota Prius V - Click above for high-res image gallery

Given that Toyota will launch the Prius Plug-in in spring of 2012 and that the Prius V is basically a roomier version of the standard Prius, it seems like a no-brainer for Toyota to eventually equip the V with plug-in components, right? Well, that seems to be one option that Toyota is keen on.

Recently, Plugin Cars' Nick Chambers interviewed Ron Ishii, senior field engineer for Toyota. While Ishii didn't confirm that a plug-in Prius V is in the works, he did say that:

The engineers and designers don't leave any possibilities out of the equation. The Prius V packaging is very similar to the Prius on purpose. In the back of the car under the floor where the battery sits, the packaging is almost identical so the larger battery required of the plug-in system could fit there the same as it does in the Prius Plug-in.

Chambers then turned to Ed Larocque, national marketing manager for Toyota advanced technology vehicle. Larocque added:

Hopefully the success of the plug-in Prius will help us move towards the release of a plug-in Prius V. If our customers demand a plug-in from us we will deliver it. If we need to adjust our product strategy to remain on top, and that means we need to add a plug-in Prius V, we will do it.

Based on these statements – and our suspicion that the Prius Plug-in will be a hit – a plug-in version of the Prius V certainly seems likely, doesn't it?



Source: Autoblog Green

Toyota Prius V Wagon Starts Production in Japan

Toyota Prius V Wagon








The new wagon-style Toyota Prius has entered production ahead of its global sales debut next month in Japan. And despite outward similarities with its hatchback predecessor, the newest member of the Prius family also gets noteworthy changes.

At a preview and test drive for journalists in Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. showed a roomier gasoline-electric hybrid that rides higher and heavier than the standard Prius.

The driver sits 1.2 inches higher for more vanlike command. And the wagon weighs about 220 pounds more, with the same drivetrain -- meaning it can't match its sibling's 9.8-second 0-60 mph time, says Kenichi Kanada, a body design engineer on the car.

The new Prius also gets better visibility -- to the rear and above.

The extended rear cargo space eliminates the need for the hatchback's split rear window. But it also increases the wagon's drag coefficient to 0.29, from the standard Prius' 0.25.

The new Prius also gets an optional polycarbonate panoramic moonroof, the largest moonroof in Toyota's lineup and its first made out of resin, which weighs 40 percent less than glass.

Other wagon improvements include a version equipped with a high-capacity lithium ion battery and Toyota's latest computer mouse-inspired one-dial climate control button.

Toyota declined to give the concept's final model name, price or sales target. The test cars viewed and driven by journalists had their nameplates concealed in thick black tape.

Two versions

The car goes on sale in Japan in April, followed by launches in the United States and Europe. The wagon will start at 2.35 million yen, or about $28,600, in Japan, according to Japan's Nikkei business daily. That compares with a starting price of 2.05 million yen, or about $24,900, for the standard Prius.

Production began last month at the company's Tsutsumi assembly plant in Toyota City, which also makes the Prius hatchback as well as the Camry sedan and other models.

The third-generation Prius and new wagon have fewer than half their components in common, said Makoto Okabe, the new vehicle's deputy chief engineer.

But they share the same platform, engine and hybrid drivetrain. They also share such design cues as the wedge-shaped silhouette and creased corners for better aerodynamics.

But besides being heavier, the wagon is longer, wider, taller and has a stretched wheelbase.

The new Prius comes in two configurations: A two-row five seater and a three-row seven seater. The latter was unveiled at this month's Geneva auto show as the Prius Plus.

The United States will get only the two-row version, equipped with a nickel-metal hydride battery under the rear seat. Europe is expected to receive only the three-row version, powered by a compact lithium ion battery tucked under the center console to make room for the third row.

Both versions are expected to be on sale in Japan.

Quality checks

Like all models debuting in the wake of Toyota's global recall crisis, the Prius wagon was subjected to a newly instituted devil's advocate quality review. Development of the vehicle started two years ago, and Toyota assigned extra man-hours for the testing in recent months.

"We found several issues," said Hiroshi Masaki, a project manager who is heading evaluation efforts on the new Prius. He declined to say what the devil's advocates turned up, but said the matters had been addressed. "There was a lot more testing of how different systems interact with each other."

Even before that stage of testing, engineers particularly scrutinized the car's antilock braking system to ensure it meshed with other software onboard, he said.

Toyota had to recall more than 400,000 Prii early last year because a software glitch caused the brakes to let up momentarily under certain driving conditions.

Masaki said the vetting of the latest Prius claimed around 100 prototypes in real-life crash tests.

Over 3 million sold

Toyota is rolling out the new Prius just as the company passes the 3 million unit mark for cumulative global hybrid sales. It announced separately today that it has sold 3.04 million Toyota and Lexus brand hybrids since 1997, when the first-generation Prius debuted.

Annual sales of the gasoline-electric cars have climbed each year since then, peaking at 690,000 units worldwide in 2010. More than half of last year's hybrids were sold in Japan.

The Prius is by far Toyota's best-selling hybrid model. Customers have snapped up 2.2 million globally since its launch. The Camry Hybrid was No. 2 at 211,000 units.

Toyota is rolling out the new Prius just as the company passes the 3 million unit mark for cumulative global hybrid sales. It announced separately today that it has sold 3.04 million Toyota and Lexus brand hybrids since 1997, when the first-generation Prius debuted.

Annual sales of the gasoline-electric cars have climbed each year since then, peaking at 690,000 units worldwide in 2010. More than half of last year's hybrids were sold in Japan.

The Prius is by far Toyota's best-selling hybrid model. Customers have snapped up 2.2 million globally since its launch. The Camry Hybrid was No. 2 at 211,000 units.

Source: Automotive News