Toyota hits the ten million hybrid milestone less than a year after hitting 9 million.

• Over Three Million Hybrids Sold in the U.S.

Toyota announced today that it has achieved more than 10 million cumulative units of hybrid vehicle (HV) sales, including plug-in hybrids, as of January 31. The latest milestone was achieved just nine months after total sales reached 9 million units at the end of April 2016.

Toyota Motor North America also saw its sales of hybrids and plug-in hybrids reach a cumulative total, exceeding three million units as of December 31, 2016.

“The Prius stands as an icon for sustainability and efficiency, and is a shining example of what you can achieve when you have the right idea to help solve a problem,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor North America. 

“Hybrids remain an important part of our lineup of vehicles, with over 246,000 units sold last year, and we have seen continued demand with the release of the RAV4 Hybrid variant of the popular compact SUV, accounting for nearly 13 percent of its total sales volume in 2016.”

Takeshi Uchiyamada, known as the father of the Prius and co-chairman of the Board of Directors at Toyota said, “When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was, but, thanks to early adopters, hybrids have ridden a wave of success into the mainstream.” He added, “We are grateful to each and every one of our customers who have helped us achieve this important [global] milestone.”

As of January 31, Toyota estimates that the use of Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, as an alternative to conventional gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance has resulted in approximately 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and has saved approximately 7.66 million gallons of gasoline (29 million kiloliters).

More than a numerical milestone, the results demonstrate the staying power of hybrid powertrain technology, which has emerged as a mainstream solution to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. Toyota values activities to help reduce the environmental effects of automobiles.  This achievement builds on the belief that widespread adoption of more environmentally-friendly vehicles can make a significant positive impact worldwide.

Toyota's visually challenged Mirai fuel cell vehicle arrives in the UK ahead of official September Launch.

First shipment of fuel cell vehicles landed at Portbury. Toyota has taken another step towards a hydrogen-powered future with the arrival of the first Mirai fuel cell vehicles at its import centre at Portbury, near Bristol.

The cars, landed on Saturday, are part of the first consignment to reach Europe, ahead of Mirai's official launch in September.

As part of Toyota's global introduction of the world's first mass-produced fuel cell saloon, the four-door Mirai is being offered in selected European markets - the UK, Germany and Denmark - where a hydrogen fuel supply and retail infrastructure is being developed. 

The limited number available in Britain this year have already been snapped up, principally by business and corporate customers keen to be among the first to explore the potential of Toyota's advanced fuel cell technology and its promise of zero harmful tailpipe emissions.

Karl Schlicht, Executive Vice President Toyota Motor Europe, said: "This marks the debut of a new age for clean mobility, a turning point in the history of the automobile. With Mirai and its fuel cell technology, Toyota is working on delivering clean, safe and enjoyable mobility for the next 100 years. We are looking forward to the start of deliveries of the first Mirai to customers from September and to see the future taking shape on European roads.

"As with Prius 15 years ago, we are proud to bring yet another ground-breaking innovation to the marketplace."

Mirai - the name means "future" in Japanese - is designed to be as convenient to drive as a conventional petrol-powered car. Hydrogen fuel is stored on board in high pressure tanks and used to generate electricity in a chemical reaction with oxygen in a Toyota-designed fuel cell stack. 

The energy produced is used to drive the car, with the only tailpipe emissions being water vapour. Refuelling from empty takes between three and five minutes at the pumps and Mirai has a driving range similar to conventionally powered vehicles.

The knowledge and expertise Toyota has gained with its successful development of hybrid power directly contributes to the advanced engineering skills used to create the Toyota Fuel Cell System. By bringing Mirai to world markets, initially in Japan, the USA and Europe, Toyota aims to build awareness, understanding and acceptance of fuel cell technology and promote the development of the hydrogen fuel production and retail infrastructure this new generation of vehicles requires. 

The experiences of the first customers to drive Mirai will also be valuable in helping Toyota further refine and develop the technology.

Hyundai announces pricing for the Hydrogen Powered ix35 SUV in the United Kingdom.

• ix35 Fuel Cell public retail price from £53,105 on-the-road (OTR) with part-funding from the HyFive project
• Hyundai’s zero-emission ix35 Fuel Cell represents one of the world’s most advanced alternative fuel vehicles on the market
• Available to purchase immediately directly from Hyundai Motor UK

Hyundai Motor UK today announced the official public pricing for the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle. The price of the innovative Crossover SUV is from £53,105 OTR with part-funding from the HyFive project - saving customers nearly £15,000 off the un-funded on-the-road-price of £67,985.

HyFive is a European project that aims to deploy 110 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) from the five global automotive companies that make up the HyFive consortium, which includes Hyundai. The project will also see another three hydrogen refuelling stations deployed in the London area, which will provide a total of five publically accessible refuelling stations in London by the end of 2015.

The Hyundai ix35 is the world’s first mass produced fuel cell electric vehicle and has been sold through central Hyundai channels to selected trial partners since 2013. Already on the road in 15 countries around the world, including 11 in Europe, the ix35 demonstrates the brand’s technical expertise and commitment to ultra-low emission motoring.

The ix35 Fuel Cell is equipped with a 100kW (136ps) electric motor, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 100mph (160km/h). Two hydrogen storage tanks, with a total capacity of 5.64kg, enable the vehicle to travel a total of up to 369 miles (594km) on a single fill, and it can reliably start in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius. The energy is stored in a 24kWh lithium-ion polymer battery, jointly developed with LG Chemical.

These impressive figures are the result of years of development by Hyundai’s research and development teams in Korea and around the world. The latest Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is the fourth-generation fuel cell-powered electric vehicle from Hyundai. This generation delivers significant improvements over its predecessor, including a driving range that has been extended by more than 50% while still producing zero tailpipe emissions, and fuel efficiency gains of more than 15%.

The ix35 Fuel Cell is available for immediate order directly from Hyundai Motor UK.