Toyota aims to promote hybrid sales further -aims to sell one million Hybrid cars globally

Toyota seems to be in an all out attempt to boost sales of hybrid vehicles.One of those measures is Toyota not only are planning to cut costs compared to previous year models but also plan to give additional standard equipment on the Prius ,a price cut of about $4500[canada].

All Toyota core models, from the compact Corolla through to the Tundra full-sized pickup truck, will eventually have hybrid versions, Mr. Tomihara said."The strongest driver is the concern about environmental issues," he said in an interview last week.

Parent Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan is increasing capacity of the plants that manufacture hybrid vehicles, he said. Toyota wants to sell one million hybrids globally - or about 10 per cent of its worldwide sales - by early next decade.

Demand for Prius alone in North America is reaching the point where Toyota is preparing a plan to manufacture the car here, industry sources said, with the auto maker's joint-venture plant with General Motors Corp. in California earmarked as the site where Prius production will begin early in the next decade.

Toyota's decision to offer a stand-alone hybrid - versus a hybrid version of an existing vehicle - is seen by analysts as a marketing coup that stoked the original demand for the vehicle earlier this decade.

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Toyota want to replace the prius as the new face of toyota globally from the existing corolla,so you can very well understand the importance toyota attaches to the Prius.