Toyota Aims for a Million Hybrids in 2011

When this whole hybrid thing first got rolling, I remember being very frightened of where the world was heading. The need for cars that cut down on emissions was made very clear by Al Gore’s scary photographs of the snow-topped mountains going dry all over the world. I’d see documentaries on television about how Miami could someday be completely submerged by water, that jet streams could change directions and turn Eastern Europe into a winter wasteland.

It was absolutely terrifying, so the idea of coming up with cars that actually made these frightening forecasts less likely was enthralling. I thought to myself how great cars like the Prius would be, but I knew deep down that it would take a very long time for things to change enough where hybrids became the norm. After all, in places like Round Lake, used cars were still blowing off of lots, some of which only performed at 8-12 miles per gallon. Used cars Gurnee and used cars Libertyville faced the same issues. Consumers were still showing that they preferred high-emissions gas engines. I felt like with every huge SUV one of them purchased, a polar bear was dying somewhere.

But finally, consumers are starting to change their minds, and Toyota is responding to those changing needs. The automaker announced this month that they hope to be producing at least one million hybrid cars annually by 2011. Within the next few years Toyota will have ten hybrid models on the market, meaning there will be plenty to choose from.

Part of the problem in finding a way to market that many hybrids earlier on in the life of this modern innovation was that at first it was just the Prius. But now there are some options to choose from—four model levels of the Prius and a Camry, as well as a Highlander hybrid that helps keep those gas guzzlers off the road. Also, there’s the FT-CH concept released at auto shows earlier this year, adding yet another possibility to the fray. No one can complain anymore that they can’t buy a hybrid because they don’t like the way the Prius looks.

Even better, everybody has the opportunity to help keep the environment healthy, and the fact that Toyota feels the need to make that many environmentally safe cars speaks volumes for what the consumer wants now—a healthy future for the planet. Luckily for them, that’s what Toyota wants, too.