No matter what you may think of Toyota's recent quality control issues, there's no denying the fact that they basically pioneered the mass-production Hybrid.

It was August of 1997, when Toyota introduced the Coaster Hybrid EV to Japan. Although it was a giant public-transport bus, it employed a full-hybrid drive system - similar to a Prius, but much larger in size.

A few months later, Toyota launched the infamous Prius. And the rest as they say is history.

Since 1997, Toyota has sold over 1 million Hybid vehicles in Japan. That's significant considering that Toyota sells Hybrids in over 80 markets. Total worldwide sales for the same period are just 1.68 million vehicles.

In Japan, Toyota currently sells 9 hybrid passenger vehicles, and 3 commercial vehicles, including the new Toyota Sai.

To date, it is estimated that the use of Toyota Hybrids have saved 15 million tons of CO2 globally, and over 4 million tons in Japan.