Worldwide Toyota Prius Sales Top 500,000 Mark

TOYOTA announced today that worldwide cumulative sales of the Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, have passed the half-million mark, with 504,700 units having been sold by the end of April this year.

Toyota launched the Prius in 1997 in Japan and started selling it overseas, such as in North America and Europe, in 2000. The second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced in 2003 with an emphasis on delivering both eco-friendliness and driving performance. It has been enjoying good sales both in Japan and overseas, especially in North America.

The Prius is now being made outside Japan for the first time, with production for the Chinese market starting in Changchun, China in December

Overall cumulative worldwide sales of Toyota (including Lexus) hybrid vehicles passed the 600,000 mark at the end of March this year. Toyota regards hybrid systems as representing a key technology for the 21st century and has been endeavoring to promote their greater use. Capitalizing on the high applicability of hybrid systems, Toyota aims to widen its hybrid vehicle lineup.

PRIUS	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	Apr 2006	Total
Japan	0.3	17.7	15.2	12.5	11.0	6.7	17.0	59.8	43.7	11.2	195.1
Overseas	-	-	-	6.5	18.5	21.4	26.1	66.0	131.5	39.7	309.6
Total Sales	0.3	17.7	15.2	19.0	29.5	28.1	43.1	125.8	175.2	50.9	504.7

*One Unit = 1.000 vehicles
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Toyota Recalls 1 million cars globally

Toyota announced on Tuesday that it would recall a total of about 1 million vehicles globally to replace faulty intermediate shafts and sliding yokes that could cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel -although the company said it didn't receive any reports of accidents from the defects.

According to the statement, subject to the recall are a total of 565,756 vehicles (Allex, Isis, Wish, Prius, Corolla, Corolla Runx, Corolla Fielder, Corolla Spacio, and Ractis) manufactured between September 2002 and November 2005. A Toyota spokesman said the recall would also cover about 400,000 units overseas.

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