Toyota Prius could become basis for Line of Hybrids
Toyota Motor Corp. world’s top manufacturer of electric powered gasoline cars could be on its way to make Prius into a line of vehicles. Toyota is trying to triple its annual sales of hybrid vehicles in US.
Toyota is planning to sell 1 million hybrid vehicles in which more then half would be targeted towards US market. Last year Toyota sold 235,000 vehicles worldwide. With the popularity for hybrid cars growing, figures seem quite achievable. In the new line, Prius might include light wagons and smaller cars with the present Prius hybrid car.
According to Jim Lentz, executive vice president of the company’s U.S. sales unit “For us to do 600,000, there will probably have to be Prius and derivatives of Prius that are selling in the neighborhood of 300,000 to 400,000.” “We don’t have any plans to do that right now, but that’s the direction that nameplate can go, because it is that strong.”
Toyota, Honda and Ford Motor Co. the three hybrid car manufactures in US sold 192,312 hybrid cars and sport-utility vehicles this year which was a whooping 24% increase from a year earlier. Prius was the best selling in this with over 75% share to the total hybrid vehicles sold.
