I would love to go see the Prius manufacturing line. To think that Toyota can make the 80 mpg hybrid-electric Prius car on the same line that they make 4 other traditional sedans is a testament to Toyota’s capabilities. I would highly doubt that any of the domestic US companies building hybrids could say the same. My next car may be a Prius as well!
The auto maker is aiming to sell 76,000 units of the new Prius a year globally, with 36,000 of that in Japan. Actual sales of the previous Prius was 28,000 units last year.
But the sales target is already looking extremely conservative. Toyota said on Thursday that orders in Japan reached 17,500 units in the first month. In the United States, where it goes on sale this month, orders topped 10,000 as of September 24.
Yahoo! News – Hybrids Can Be Cheap to Make, Toyota Says
UPDATE: this alone (Prius owners may be able to drive in HOV lanes with only one occupant) would be worth buying a Prius for!!!
Toyota Prius Owners and the State of California Could Benefit From Plan to Allow Hybrid Vehicles in HOV Lanes