Toyota Celebrates 10 Years of Prius
Published Tuesday, 17 August, 2010 by Blog Admin. Categories: New Inventory, Green, News.
Ten years ago, Toyota launched a new kind of car in North America. It was the Prius, an affordable car with a hybrid gas/electric powertrain. In the decade that followed, the Prius made an indelible mark on the automotive industry. The car with the signature wedge shape proved to be an agent of change, and a catalyst for innovative ideas. Over 1.8 million units have been sold in the world to date, with nearly 900,000 in the U.S. alone.
Nearly 900,000 people who chose to drive a Toyota Prius versus the average car have prevented an estimated nine million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, conserved approximately 650 million gallons of gas, and saved an estimated 1.5 billion of their hard-earned dollars.
The first Prius came to North America in July of 2000. That year, the hit of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was the Hummer H2, and national gasoline prices averaged about $1.50 per gallon. Modest Prius sales goals of 12,000 units a year were set.
Each generation of the Prius has moved the bar higher. When the first-generation compact Prius was launched in 2000, buyers got 97 combined horsepower and were told to expect 41 mpg. Ten years later, the midsize Prius has 134 horsepower and delivers an EPA rating of 50 mpg overall.
As time went on, the media gained a better understanding of Prius. The editors of Motor Trend magazine, in naming the Prius "2004 Car of the Year," were "thoroughly impressed with the Prius as not only a technological marvel, but as a truly liveable sedan."
Today there are nearly 30 hybrid models on the road from 12 brands, with more on the drawing boards. Many of the patents filed during the development of the original Prius are now licensed to manufacturers who also take advantage of Toyota's initial R&D investment. Nevertheless, one out of every two hybrids on American roads is a Prius, which remains the benchmark to which all hybrid cars are compared.
There may be many futures for the Prius and Hybrid Synergy Drive, but one significant advancement, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid is coming in 2012.
Test drive the all new Prius today at Motorcars Toyota - 2950 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.
Source: http://www.iewy.com/9118-toyota-celebrates-10-years-of-prius.html
Nearly 900,000 people who chose to drive a Toyota Prius versus the average car have prevented an estimated nine million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, conserved approximately 650 million gallons of gas, and saved an estimated 1.5 billion of their hard-earned dollars.
The first Prius came to North America in July of 2000. That year, the hit of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was the Hummer H2, and national gasoline prices averaged about $1.50 per gallon. Modest Prius sales goals of 12,000 units a year were set.
Each generation of the Prius has moved the bar higher. When the first-generation compact Prius was launched in 2000, buyers got 97 combined horsepower and were told to expect 41 mpg. Ten years later, the midsize Prius has 134 horsepower and delivers an EPA rating of 50 mpg overall.
As time went on, the media gained a better understanding of Prius. The editors of Motor Trend magazine, in naming the Prius "2004 Car of the Year," were "thoroughly impressed with the Prius as not only a technological marvel, but as a truly liveable sedan."
Today there are nearly 30 hybrid models on the road from 12 brands, with more on the drawing boards. Many of the patents filed during the development of the original Prius are now licensed to manufacturers who also take advantage of Toyota's initial R&D investment. Nevertheless, one out of every two hybrids on American roads is a Prius, which remains the benchmark to which all hybrid cars are compared.
There may be many futures for the Prius and Hybrid Synergy Drive, but one significant advancement, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid is coming in 2012.
Test drive the all new Prius today at Motorcars Toyota - 2950 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.
Source: http://www.iewy.com/9118-toyota-celebrates-10-years-of-prius.html
Tags: toyota prius, toyota, toyota news
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