Toyota will increase Prius production 50 percent next year

Toyota's Prius sales might slow down in America now that the tax benefits of buying the iconic hybrid are diminishing, but Toyota is confident sales in the United States and abroud will remain strong. The company is going to increase Prius production by 50 percent in Japan in 2007. Toyota shouldn't have too hard a time selling the 300,000 Prius vehicles it'll make next year, considering that supply has far outstripped demand for years now.

The production increase is the next step in Toyota's goal to sell a million hybrids - Prius and otherwise - a year by 2010. The company will focus on sales or hybrids and standard vehicles in Brazil, Russia, India and China. Currently, Toyota makes most of the Prius in Japan and exports the hybrid to 40 countries or regions. To satisfy the production increase, two plants in Aichi Prefecture that make the Prius and other models will be switched over to Prius-only production.

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[Source: Nihon Keizai Shinbun via Green Car Congress]

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