Toyota recently celebrated a major milestone with its Camry, and not to be outdone, the Prius reached an impressive mark as well. The hybrid vehicle sold its 3 millionth model at the end of June.
Originally introduced in 1997, the Prius was the world's first mass-produced hybrid and continues to be one of the most popular environmentally friendly vehicles. While the first few versions of the car were expensive and more time consuming to produce, the third generation that began in 2009 was much more cost-effective. The price of creating the Prius dropped two-thirds by the third generation.
TreeHugger reports that the most recent version of the Prius has gained popularity in recent years. Despite the fact that it took nearly 10 years for the Prius to sell about 1.8 million models, it practically matched that output in the past three years to reach the 3 million mark.
One of the major benefits of a hybrid car like the Prius is the low long-term cost. With less money spent on fuel, the only real concern is auto repair - but drivers who take care of vehicle maintenance regularly should be able to keep costs from getting out of control.