The carmaker adds that the latest million-milestone has been reached in the fastest time yet, just nine months since the figure moved past five million.

Toyota calculates that, as of 31st December 2013, its hybrid vehicles have made a saving of approximately 41 million tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere, compared to the impact the same number of equivalent petrol-powered vehicles would have, equating to a saving of around 15,000 million litres of petrol.

In a statement Toyota said it ‘recognises that its cleaner, efficient technologies can only truly make a positive impact if they are widely used, hence its on-going efforts to encourage the mass-market take-up of its hybrid vehicles’.

As of this month, Toyota Motor Corporation sells 24 hybrid passenger car models and one plug-in hybrid in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world.

Within the next two years, Toyota will launch 15 new hybrids and will continue to develop its product range and the number of markets where its hybrid models are available.