November 1, 2005

Toyota suspends Prius fleet sales in U.S. due to consumer demand

Torrance, California – Toyota Motor Sales has temporarily suspended sales of its 2006 Prius gasoline/electric hybrid to government and rental fleets in the U.S., and is cancelling existing fleet order agreements, due to low inventories and an anticipated surge in retail consumer demand.

The company is advising that availability will remain limited for commercial fleet buyers and that delivery times may be in excess of six months. The recent passage of the U.S. Federal Highway Bill, which permits retail tax credits and HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane eligibility for hybrid vehicles, has prompted the company to expect an increase in retail demand. Toyota will restore fleet availability once production volumes are sufficient to meet both retail and fleet order demand.

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