Toyota Prius European sales reach 200,000

Ten years after its launch, the Toyota Prius seems to have finally convinced European drivers. After a slow start the full hybrid has just reached cumulative sales of 200,000 units, two years after it reached the milestone of 100,000 units (May 2008).

Having been launched in Japan in 1997, the Toyota Prius reached the European market in 2000. It started being sold in 13 countries, but during these ten years this number has increased to 38. The Japanese brand expects that this autumn global sales of the Prius will reach the 2 million units.

Throughout the first decade of its existence the Prius has been voted Car of the Year by European, Japanese and American motoring journalists, which are joined by severa other highy prestigious awards.

Winning 11 times the International Engine of the Year award the Hybrid Synergy Drive® fitted on the Prius has become one of the most successful powertrains of the industry. The full hybrid has been the front-runner in a pursuit for improved fuel efficiency and a reduction in CO2, NOX and particulate emissions. Although its power has risen 30% over the last decade, the Hybrid Synergy Drive® powertrain saw its fuel consumption reduced by 23% and CO2 emissions decreased from 120 g/km to just 89 g/km, almost 26%.

The Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive® represents a synergy of high technology and environmentally-conscientious forward thinking in powertrain design and gives the Prius with full hybrid capability, operating in petrol and electric modes alone, as well as a combination of both.

The Prius is the best-in-market in terms of CO2 emissions. Together with the combined cycle fuel economy of 3.9 l/100 km the Prius gives customers significant, pan-European tax incentives, inner city congestion charge exemption and low running costs.

The Auris HSD has recently joined the Prius which is set to mark an expansion in Toyota’s full hybrid model range. According to Toyota the brand intends to offer all of its European models with a Hybrid Synergy Drive® powertrain derivative as early as possible in the 2020s.