A total of 315,669 Priuses were sold domestically in 2010 , making the Prius the country 's best-selling vehicle for the second straight year . Also the Prius broke Japan 's annual sales record for a single model for the first time in 20 years , surpassing the Toyota Corolla , which in 1990 set the previous sales record with 300,008 units . The Prius sold 252,528 units in 2011 , becoming the best-selling vehicle for the third-consecutive year . This figure includes sales of the Prius α , launched in May 2011 , and the Toyota Aqua , launched in December . Despite keeping to the top-selling spot , total Prius sales for 2011 were 20 % lower than 2010 due partly to the disruptions caused by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami , and also because government incentives for hybrid cars were scaled back . Nevertheless , during the 2011 Japanese fiscal year ( April 1 , 2011 through March 31 , 2012 ) , hybrid vehicles accounted for 16 % of all new car sales in the country . In May 2012 , hybrid sales reached a record market share of 19.7 % of new car sales in the country , including kei cars . Sales were led by the conventional Prius followed by the Toyota Aqua . Also during this month , hybrid sales represented 25 % of Honda sales and 46 % of Toyota sales in the country
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Hybrid electric vehicle