US plugs in to Prius; Toyota celebrates sale of one-millionth USA hybrid Prius

Although it’s been making noise since its arrival in 2000, its unveiling and pricing at the NY Auto Show years ago is memorable for another thing: the abject silence with which a hall full of journalists silenced themselves and sat in relative silence when Prius debuted for $19,995 in the Jacob Javits Center.

This week, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., heralded the one-millionth sale of its vaunted gas-electric hybrid car in the USA.

If you’re keeping count, and Toyota certainly is:

• worldwide Prius sales topped two million in October 2010
• overall global Toyota hybrid sales passed three million last month.

“Since the Prius went on sale eleven years ago not a year has gone by when it hasn’t been the number one selling hybrid vehicle in the U.S,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. “Prius has become synonymous with the word hybrid and as we see fuel prices starting to rise again, it has accounted for more than 60 percent of hybrid passenger car sales so far this year. Prius paved the way for hybrids and while it is still the hybrid leader in sales and fuel economy, I’m proud to say that since its introduction, 13 other auto brands have seen the benefits of hybrid technology and joined the hybrid market.”

Other interesting Prii, or is it Prius, fun facts from Toyota:

• The 3rd-generation Prius topped the EPA’s list of the Most Fuel Efficient Vehicles for 2011
• Best Overall Value of the Year for the last 9 years in a row (IntelliChoice)
• Has the highest owner loyalty of any mid-size vehicle for 4 of the last 5 years (R.L. Polk)
• More than 97 percent of all Toyota Prii sold since 2000 are still on the road
• Compared to the average car, has saved Americans more than an estimated 881 million gallons of gas, $2.19 billion in fuel costs, and 12.4 million tons of CO2 emissions.

At the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Toyota showed off the Prius v, a midsized vehicle with 50 percent more interior space than the current edition. It is due on sale in the third quarter of 2011.

The year 2012 will be more Prius spawning results with the Prius c compact hybrid vehicle and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle.-autoinsane.com