Toyota, the world's leading manufacturer of hybrid cars

5500000. This is the number of vehicles with dual drive gasoline-electric Toyota passed since the first Prius in 1997, which was sold only 323 copies this year! Evidence that major innovations are slow to take hold. The hybrid is a key invention of Toyota, which has given it a universal image of car manufacturer "green" environmentally friendly.
A great shot pub. His first rival is fellow Honda, but it is now far behind. Honda has taken in mid-October 2012 the million cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles - since November 1999, when the appearance of the first generation Honda Insight. Honda has sold five times less than Toyota hybrid models to date. Toyota hybrids are also more advanced. It is impossible to run in pure electric with a Honda, then it is possible for very short distances with a Toyota. But Honda promises to future enhancements ...
Successful small Yaris h
Toyota (including its Lexus luxury brand) has passed 629,652 hybrid cars, only the first half of 2013, including 330,000 in Japan, 183,570 in North America, 73,293 in Europe .... 15,886 in France. All with sixteen different models (more anecdotal vehicles, especially utilities, Japan). The most popular models are the famous Prius compact sedan (only 89 grams of C02 per kilometer, a very very low value for the category), which represents a little more than a quarter of sales, and the new city Aqua (Prius C in the United States) that generates a little less than a quarter.
The large sedan Camry hybrid, produced overseas, to arrogate to 7%. On Europe alone, the hybrid Toyota's most popular is the small Yaris h (emissions 79 grams), produced in the French plant in Valenciennes (25,130 units over six months, a third of hybrid sales in the Old continent). This Yaris am sharing the same mechanics as the Aqua sold in Japan. Hybrid components Yaris h from elsewhere in the archipelago.
A rechargeable Prius
Toyota highlights growing this technology, with recently a rechargeable Prius (releases 49 grams of CO2), the Prius + MPV and the new luxury sedan, the Lexus IS 300h marketed these days. Toyota argues fuel consumption and reduced C02 emissions compared to conventional gasoline engines, a strong argument in countries hostile to diesel as Japan or the United States.
In Europe, the hybrid is less advantageous, since consumption is substantially equivalent to those of the diesel engines ... But it remains that hybrids will evolve with more electric range - an advantage in the city center. In addition, Toyota hybrids are considered very reliable despite the electronic complexity.
Revisions to increase profits
The world's largest automaker also noted on Friday, its annual forecast, having benefited from the depreciation of the yen at a record first quarter, despite lower sales. For its entire 2013-2014 period (ending late March 2014), the Japanese giant is now a net profit of 1.480 billion (12 billion euros at the exchange rate used by the group), which is up 54 % on the previous year. It also increased its forecast for operating profit to 1.940 billion yen (14.7 billion euros, 47%). For calendar year 2013, it hopes to reach almost 10 million units sold and now plans to go beyond this symbolic production, which would be a world first.