2009 "Year of the Hybrid" in Japan
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Toyota Prius was the bestselling car in Japan in 2009, the first time a hybrid has taken the accolade, according to figures released January 8.
Toyota sold 208,879 Prius vehicles in Japan through 2009, making it the bestselling car in the country as well as the bestselling hybrid in the world. It easily outsold the next bestselling hybrid, the Honda Insight, which sold 93,283 vehicles and was fifth in the country's overall rankings.
In total, the number of Prius sales tripled between 2008 and 2009, putting it ahead of the Honda Fit and the Toyota Vitz, in second and third place respectively.
The Prius's success has been widely attributed to stimulus packages that have made green vehicles more affordable and provided incentives to scrap older vehicles. It is reported that the incentives, due to expire in September 2010, can save consumers as much as 394,500 yen (€2,963) on the price of an entry-level Prius.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments