Friday 21st August 2015

Toyota sells eight million hybrids

Prius power takes over (or the world goes crazy) as Toyota racks up an incredible number for hybrid sales

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1997 wasn't a great year for cars. The Ford Puma, Alfa 156 and VW Golf Mk4 are all fine cars in their own way but they aren't especially exciting. Especially when you consider the year before saw the Ferrari 550 and TVR Cerbera launched, then the water-cooled 911 in 1998. But 1997 was made an especially bad year for cars because it was the year Toyota introduced the Prius. Oh dear.

Can't it just go in the Thames?

Why is that significant? Well now, just 18 years later and having sold only 300 cars in that first year, Toyota has flogged eight million ruddy hybrids. Eight million! Along the way Toyota claims approximately 58 million fewer tons of CO2 have been emitted than if similar size combustion engined cars had been used. Here we won't so much celebrate the occasion as point out that the situation might not be as bad as it seems.

Alright, there's little hope from Toyota's portfolio. The Prius has always been uninspiring to say the least (we'll keep it polite), even if they did set a 'ring record in it. Remember the original was around at about the same time as the Honda Insight, the funky and innovative hybrid assembled alongside the NSX. Everyone after a hybrid went with the tedious Toyota, forcing Honda to make the incredibly dull second-gen Insight. There's little to be excited by elsewhere in the current line up either; Yaris or Auris Hybrid do much for you? Lexus IS300h? Exactly.

Come on Toyota, you know what to do

But there's hope. What the past few years have taught petrolheads across the globe is that hybrid needn't mean hideous. The hypercar trio arguably had the greatest impact but cars like the Golf GTE, Mercedes SLS Electric Drive and BMWi8 have really boosted (sorry) the appeal of electric and hybrid vehicles. Toyota could even reclaim some credibility with a production version of the FT-1; a turbocharged straight-six like the good old days with some electric assistance? Looking like the concept car? That would add a few to the eight million!

So well done Toyota on proving your hybrids have staying power. Fingers crossed a few of the next eight million might be rather more appealing to enthusiasts.

[daveco]

The newer versions are very nice inside.

However much like the Nissan Micra, the drivers of Priuseseses are on the whole extremely st at driving.

I often wonder how aware you can be driving one? Hybrid car owner mindset, no noise most of the time, very light steering, and of course that fancy electronic dashboard that is bigger than the moon...it all logically adds up to st driving.

It's a Friday. I should be happy.