Ten million is a number so large we can scarcely wrap our heads around it. But it’s one that keeps on coming up again and again in relation to Toyota.
The Japanese automaker has produced and sold about that many new cars and trucks every year for the past four years. But now it’s boasting a different milestone.
As of the end of last month, Toyota has sold a cumulative (and positively massive) total of over 10 million hybrid vehicles. Of those, more than 3 million have been sold in the North American market alone.
To put those numbers into perspective, consider that Chevy has sold “only” 134,500 Volts (making it the most successful plug-in hybrid in the world), and Nissan has sold over 230,000 Leafs (the world’s most prolific EV). As of December, Tesla had sold 158,159 examples of the Model S, and another 25,524 of the Model X. Throw in another 2,500 or so Tesla Roadsters and the brand’s total comes to just over 186,000 – or about 50 times fewer than the number of hybrids Toyota has sold.
Since the electrified figures from other manufacturers don’t even come close, consider that Mercedes, for example, has sold approximately 8 million C-Class sedans and wagons worldwide since the model’s introduction in 1982. Porsche has yet to sell a million 911s, and Mazda only recently sold its millionth MX-5 – the most successful two-seat convertible in history.
Toyota offers 34 hybrid vehicles globally. In the United States alone, it sells four Prius models along with hybrid versions of the Camry and Avalon sedans as well as the Highlander and RAV4 crossovers. Add to those the hybrid versions of the Lexus CT, ES, GS, NX, and RX models – not to mention the LS currently being replaced – and what you’re looking at is a massive array of gasoline-electric vehicles spreading wider than any other manufacturer in the business.