Toyota’s global hybrid vehicle sales have topped the one million mark, with approximately 1,047,000 units sold worldwide as of May 31, 2007.

Toyota launched the Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, in Japan in 1997 and began selling it in Europe and elsewhere in 2000.

The second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced in 2003.

Toyota has expanded the use of its hybrid system to minivans, SUVs, rear-wheel drive saloons and other vehicles.

Of the 1,047,000 units sold worldwide, 345,000 hybrids were sold in Japan and 702,000 were sold abroad. In the UK, Toyota has sold 20,388 hybrid vehicles since 2000, with 13,826 Prius, 5,582 Lexus RX 400h and 980 Lexus GS 450h sales.

Toyota expects to double its hybrid line-up and push hybrid sales to one million units a year before 2020.