Tokyo/Frankfurt  - Sales of Toyota's groundbreaking petrol- electric hybrid have topped 1 million, the Japanese carmaker announced.

By the end of April 2008, the company had sold a total of 1,0028,000 Prius hybrids since the model made its debut in Japan 1997, said Toyota. The hybrid was introduced to Europe and North America from 2000.

US sales of the Prius jumped by nearly 70 per cent last month amid high petrol prices. A total of 183,800 models of the car were sold in the US last year compared to 32,200 in Europe and 58,300 in Japan.

The hybrid, which uses a petrol engine and an auxiliary electric motor for urban driving, enjoys a positive image but its appeal has never been mainstream.

Toyota claims the Prius has eased global warming by producing around 4.5 million tons less carbon dioxide compared with petrol- powered vehicles in the same class." CO2 is believed to be one of the causes of global warming.

The current Prius model continues to sell well despite being overdue for a facelift. Toyota says an all-new Prius will be unveiled at next year's Detroit Car Show in January. (dpa)