Toyota Looks for Jump in Hybrid Sales

Washington DC January 25, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that Toyota Motor Corp. announced yesterday it is aiming for a 40 percent jump in its global sales of gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

In 2006, Toyota saw a 33 percent jump in its hybrid sales. In America today Hybrid sales account for only about one percent of total new car sales, but Toyota expects that number to grow.

According to Automotive News, Japan's top automaker aims to sell 430,000 units in 2007. In addition, they expect to boost domestic production of their popular Prius hybrid cars by 40 percent to 280,000 units.

Last November Toyota partnered with truck maker Isuzu Motors Ltd. in an effort to catch up in clean diesel, a rival technology to its signature hybrid system.

In 2005, Toyota took a stake in Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., in part as a way to quickly add production capacity in North America.