Toyota’s 1 millionth Prius: What does it mean?

Today, Toyota announced that it has officially sold one million Prii (yes, that’s the plural of Prius) in the United States. The eleven-year-old has gone through three makeovers and remains the top selling hybrid in the world. This is wonderful news for Toyota and its dealers, especially in the wake of the tsunami last month. But I can’t help but wonder, “What does this mean for America’s automotive marketplace altogether?”

This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about the “green movement dilemma.” Read my earlier post It’s not easy being green for my thoughts in February of last year. I have long believed that the marketplace should drive what manufacturers produce, but could the sale of the one millionth Prius mean that us blue-blooded, oil-thirsty Americans actually want more hybrids and fuel efficient vehicles? Could this be the turning point toward oil independence? The solid showing of green concept vehicles and technologies throughout the 2011 circuit of auto shows would lead one to believe that the answer is YES.

I want to know what you, my faithful readers, think. Please share your thoughts on the growing hybrid vehicle marketplace in the comments below. Thoughts to get you started:

• Will the Prius forever reign as the hybrid king?
• Which hybrids make sense and which are a waste of the technology (um, like the Suburban)?
• Would you/are you consider/ing a hybrid vehicle for your next vehicle purchase?
• How has your opinion of “green” cars evolved in the past few years?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts – I look forward to reading your responses!