Toyota Prius: The First Environmental Friendly Hybrid Car To Produce Mass

JAKARTA - The Toyota Prius was the first hybrid car mass-produced in 1997. This car is the fruit of a collaboration between Toyota Motor Corporation and the Panasonic Corporation to develop the nickel-metal hybrid battery technology (NiMH). The prime was first launched in Japan in December 1997 and then sold in the United States in 2000.

The Prius history began in 1993, when the Toyota development team led by Takeshi Uchiyamada was tasked with developing more efficient environmentally friendly cars than conventional cars. The Prius development team later discovered that hybrid technology, a combination of gasoline engines and electric motors, could increase fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions.

In 1994, Toyota unveiled the concept of the first Prius hybrid car on the Tokyo Motor Show. The car received a positive response from the public and Toyota decided to mass-produce it. During Prius development, Toyota experienced many technical and financial challenges, including battery problems and high production costs.

However, Toyota managed to overcome all these challenges and successfully launched the first Prius in 1997. The first prime has fuel consumption of 28 km/liter and emits 60% lower CO2 emissions than conventional cars at the time. Prius also has advanced features such as energy regeneration systems and NiMH battery technology that are more environmentally friendly.

Prius received a good welcome from the market and sold 18,000 units in Japan in its first year of launch. Then, Toyota decided to market the Prius to the United States in 2000 and managed to sell 5,562 units in its first year of launch in the United States.

To note, Prius was selected as Europe's Best Car for 2005, this gasoline efficient car was also previously selected as Motor Trend magazine's Best Car. Prius also won North America's Best Car award in 2004 and was nominated in 2001.

Remarkably, in May 2008, cumulative sales of Prius around the world reached 1 million units and in September 2010 the figure of 2 million units was reached. As of October 2012, a total of 2.8 million units of Prius have been sold worldwide.

Since its launch, Toyota Prius has experienced several improvements and developments. In 2003, Toyota launched a second-generation Prius with a more aerodynamic design and higher fuel efficiency. Then, in 2009, Toyota launched a third-generation Prius with more advanced technology and better performance.

Currently, Toyota Prius has become one of the most popular hybrid cars in the world. Apart from Prius, Toyota has also developed a variety of other hybrid and electric cars. Toyota is highly committed to reducing exhaust emissions and contributing to environmental conservation through the development of environmentally friendly cars.