Toyota Motor clocks one million sales of Prius in US

Toyota Motor USA Wednesday announced the one-millionth sale of the Toyota Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid gas-electric vehicle, in the United States.

Since the Prius went on sale eleven years ago not a year has gone by when it hasn't been the number one selling hybrid vehicle in the U.S, said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager.

Prius has accounted for more than 60 percent of hybrid passenger car sales so far this year. Prius paved the way for hybrids and while it is still the hybrid leader in sales and fuel economy, Carter added.

The carmaker also said that it will launch Prius v a mid-size vehicle that provides more than 50 percent additional interior cargo space than the current Prius in third quarter of 2011.

In early 2012 Prius will launch two more Prius family members - the Prius c compact hybrid vehicle and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle, it added.

Since it was introduced in the US in 2000, Prius, when compared to the average car, has saved American consumers more than an estimated 881 million gallons of gas, $2.19 billion in fuel costs, and 12.4 million tons of CO2 emissions.

More than 97% of all Toyota Prius sold since 2000 are still on the road, Toyota says.