Toyota announced today that sales of the Prius have now reached one million examples worldwide, with approximately 1,028,000 units sold by the end of April. "Based on sales figures collected up to April 30, 2008," the company said in a statement, "Toyota believes that Prius vehicles worldwide have contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions (considered a cause of global warming) by producing approximately 4.5 million tons*2 less CO2 when compared with gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance."

The company launched the original Prius in 1997 in Japan—it actually predated the Honda Insight, which was the first hybrid sold in America. Toyota began selling the Prius in 2000 here, and then launched the much-improved second-generation model in 2004. Toyota said it is aiming to sell one million hybrids per year in the 2010s.