TOYOTA Motor Corporation has announced that cumulative global sales of its hybrid vehicles have exceeded the 7 million-unit mark as of Sept. 30, 2014, reaching 7.053 million units. This latest million-unit milestone was achieved in the fastest time yet for Toyota, taking just nine months. Helping mitigate the environmental effects of automobiles is a priority for Toyota. Based on the stance that environment-friendly vehicles can only truly have a significant positive impact if they are widely used, Toyota has endeavored to encourage the mass-market adoption of hybrid vehicles. “To have achieved this latest million-unit milestone in just nine months is truly a creditable accomplishment and underscores Toyota's undeniable leadership in hybrid technology,” said Dr. Adel Muhammad Ezzat, Managing Director of Marketing at Abdul Latif Jameel Company (ALJ), the sole authorized distributor of Toyota brands in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, “At ALJ we are committed to supporting Toyota's contribution to the creation of a low-carbon society. Toyota hybrid vehicles have raised consumer environmental awareness globally by combining remarkable fuel efficiency with lower emission levels, and are today seen as the natural choice for customers looking to embrace the latest in hybrid car technology.” As of this month, Toyota sells 27 different hybrid passenger car models and one plug-in hybrid model in more than 90 countries and regions. Furthermore, through the beginning of this year to the end of 2015, Toyota is planning launches of a total of 15 new hybrid vehicles Toyota will continue augmenting its hybrid lineup and increasing the number of countries and regions where it sells hybrid vehicles. Toyota calculates that as of Sept. 30, Toyota hybrid vehicles have resulted in approximately 49 million fewer tons*2 of CO2 emissions—believed to be a cause of global warming—than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance. Toyota also estimates that its hybrid vehicles have saved approximately 18 million kiloliters of gasoline compared to the amount used by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar sizes. Toyota launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” in August 1997 and the “Prius”—the world's first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle—in December of the same year. Since then, Toyota hybrid vehicles have received tremendous support from consumers around the world. Hybrid technologies, which encompass all of the component technologies necessary for the development of environment-friendly cars and which facilitate the use of different fuel combinations, have been positioned by Toyota as core environmental technologies for the twenty-first century. Toyota therefore plans to continue working to enhance performance, reduce costs and expand its product lineup—including that of environment-friendly non-hybrid vehicles—to create vehicles that are popular with consumers. — SG
