Toyota sells 400,000th hybrid in diesel-loving Europe

Some notable dates for Toyota and/or hybrid fans:

• 1997: Toyota introduces its first production hybrid vehicle, the Prius
• August 2010: Toyota sells on millionth hybrid in Japan.
• May 2011: Toyota sells one millionth Prius hybrid in the U.S.
• June 2011: The two-millionth hybrid is sold in the U.S.
• As of today, Toyota has sold over 3.5 million hybrids around the world.

Thinking about those seven-digit numbers might make Toyota's recent bit of news – that it has now sold over 400,000 hybrids in Europe – seem a bit lackluster, especially given that the company introduced its first hybrid there 12 years ago. Still, we have to put things in perspective. Each market is different, and Europeans most certainly choose passenger cars with diesel powertrains at a much higher rate than they do in either the U.S. or Japan.

As it is doing in other areas, Toyota is expanding its hybrid range in Europe with more models, specifically the Prius Plus (known as the Prius V in the U.S.) and the Yaris Hybrid. Toyota already offers the standard Prius, now called the Liftback, and an Auris Hybrid on the Continent. With moves like these, Toyota's goal of selling a million hybrids a year is quickly coming into view.