Faced with pressures to continue to lead in the market for low-emission cars, Toyota Motor Corp. targets doubling its global output of gasoline-electric hybrid cars to 1 million units in 2011, according to the Nikkei business daily.

Toyota aims to sell 1 million models annually worldwide soon after 2010. In fact, it has ramped up its hybrids and has recently introduced the Sai sedan in Japan, its second hybrid-only model. The Sai is a variant of the Lexus HS 250h sold in the US. In Japan, low-emission hybrids have had strong sales in Japan due to generous subsidies and tax breaks. Japan’s best-selling car in 2009 is the Prius, Toyota’s flagship hybrid. Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Kazaka Securities, said that rather than electric or fuel-cell cars, the focus of Toyota’s low-emission car strategy will be on hybrids.

[Source: Autonews]