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The day before yesterday Toyota Motor Corporation announced that the Prius, launched in December 1997 as the world's first mass-produced hybrid passenger car, has surpassed the 50,000-unit mark in cumulative sales, according to the latest figures from Toyota for Japan and overseas sales combined.
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Three years ago, when Mr. Hiroshi Okuda, the then president, decided to start the sales of Prius for domestic market, no one in the company could estimate how much vehicles would be sold because it was priced a bit higher than the conventional vehicles and its technical stability has not been proved yet. So the fact that their efforts resulted in surpassing the 50,000-unit mark in cumulative sales for three years would be worth for horning themselves.
If not only top executives of manufacturers but top officers of dealers or their staffs had understood the hybrid system of Prius and had promoted its sales with confidence, I think they would be able to sell at least twice as much as the result.
Those who related sales might not be familiar with the fact that the new Toyota technology is a revolutionary advanced one. They are expected to understand that how to save electric energy to its batteries while it is running on crowded streets and that this system can be applicable to any vehicle of any size and of any engine capacity with the result that it can save at least a half of fuel.
As I drove a Prius myself, I understood its superior points. It would be the best way to buy the car and use it yourself to learn its technical stability and its superior performance compared with vehicles of about same size. Also you can save a half of fuel compared with conventional vehicles and also you can enjoy its cleanness.
If you promote the sales of Prius with your experience on the vehicle, it would be easy to sell two times as much as the latest results.
Meanwhile as those who related to overseas sales were not familiar with this car, they started their business timidly. The Prius for overseas market was developed from the three year old original model. The batteries, one of the weakest points of Prius hybrid system, have been improved dramatically and its too much effective braking performance was adjusted to normal. The overseas model started production together with its second model for domestic market. Nevertheless, there were a few who had no confidence on the products just like when it introduced to domestic market three years ago. Their attitude toward the car caused some panic among overseas staffs. Those who related with overseas sales should have confidence in the car by using it themselves, I think.
Recently it was reported in newspapers that a few foreign auto manufacturers had interests in Prius's hybrid system and approached to Toyota. Mr. Fujio Cho, President of Toyota Motor Corporation said in June, this year when he was staying in U.S.A. that about a half of vehicles produced would become hybrid vehicles in near future.
This hybrid system technology is one of the most valuable and historical heritage to 21st century from Japanese auto industry of 20th century. I pray for the further efforts of related people.