Perhaps proving that hybrid vehicles are not a fad, Toyota Motor Corp. said that global cumulative sales of its hybrid vehicles have topped the 100,000 mark in five years, with nearly 103,000 units sold by the end of March, representing a 90% share of the world hybrid vehicle market.
Toyota said key hybrid components in the Prius passenger sedan include an Atkinson cycle engine, a drive-power-supplying nickel-metal hydride battery and an electrically controlled transmission that serves as a continuously variable transmission. Toyota said it hopes to expand hybrid technology to truck platforms.
