Toyota’s global hybrid strategy rides on back of new Prius model

Toyota named its first hybrid the Prius — Latin for “to go before,” suggesting it is a predecessor of cars to come.

With Tuesday night’s Las Vegas introduction of the fourth generation of the groundbreaking hybrid, first sold in Japan 18 years ago, the automaker has achieved that goal.

Toyota has sold about 1.9 million Prius hybrids in the U.S. since 2000 and about 8 million hybrids of various models since 1997, said Bill Fay, Toyota’s group vice president and general manager.

The first Prius paved the way for dozens of hybrid models at Toyota and other companies as well as the current generation of plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars, said Devin Lindsay, an analyst at research firm IHS Automotive.

“When it came out most of us thought of a battery as something that only started the car and made the radio work,” Lindsay said, “not something that would actually power the car.”

Last year Toyota sold 207,635 of the three Prius models, accounting for 42% of the hybrid market, according to IHS Automotive.

The Prius also comes in a compact and station wagon version. Toyota hasn’t said when those models might be redesigned.

“The results of Toyota’s dedication is showing fruition,” Lindsay said. “This will be the fourth generation when other companies are really just getting started on hybrid models.”

But the 2016 Prius isn’t Toyota’s only hybrid play.

The automaker has leveraged the hybrid technology first developed for the car by offering it in more models, including versions of top sellers such as the Toyota Camry and dedicated vehicles like the Lexus CT 200h.

With the RAV4 hybrid coming out later this year, Toyota will have 14 hybrid models selling in the U.S., including offerings from its Lexus luxury brand. Toyota sold 310,021 hybrids in the U.S. last year with 60% being Prius variants.

It is by far the biggest seller of hybrids in the U.S. by volume and by the number of different models offered.

“Hybrids have become a core technology for us,” said Toyota marketing manager Brian Coleman. “We are in this for the long term.”

Roughly a decade from now every Toyota model will have a hybrid powertrain option, Coleman said.

Toyota expects to make continual improvements that will make each generation hybrid more capable, smarter and efficient, he said.

It plans to expand into plug-in hybrids, vehicles that can drive for some miles on electricity alone before a gasoline engine kicks in to extend the range. First up will be a second-generation Prius plug-in, he said.

But then the automaker plans to work the technology into other models.

“We think there is a lot more room to go with the technology,” Coleman said.

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