Toyota is doubling the number of Priuses allocated for the US in 2005 to 100,000. The announcement coincides with Toyota selling the 100,000^th Prius in the US since since the vehicle first went on sale in the U.S. in the summer of 2000. More than one-half of the total worldwide Prius production now is targeted for the US market.

Globally, Toyota has sold more than 250,000 hybrid vehicles since the introduction of the first-generation Prius in December 1997. In addition to the Prius, Toyota has built hybrid vans, box trucks, small buses and luxury sedans for sale in the Japan domestic market. Toyota is bringing two more hybrid models to the U.S. market early next year: the Lexus RX 400h and Toyota Highlander hybrid SUVs.

The increased allocation marks the second production increase for the second-generation Prius since it launched in October 2003 in the U.S. The original Prius production plan for the 2004 model was 36,000 units annually. With 12,000 pre-orders received before the vehicle launched in mid-October 2003 and approximately 10,000 units delivered in its first six weeks on sale, Prius production was increased in December 2003 to 47,000 units annually. With demand continuing to rise, Toyota boosted production once again. (Earlier post.)