No other year in recent history brought as much anticipation or excitement as the Millennium. To the delight of thousands of hybrid vehicle fans, 2000 was the first year Toyota Prius hit American shores.

To kick off the decade, the US welcomed a new president and continued speeding down the path of technology and innovation.

No one ever accused 2002 of being boring. Technology was booming, people were traveling again and more of us were finding time to enjoy life outdoors.

Ask any fan and they’ll tell you that 2003 was a banner year for the Toyota Prius.

On December 21, Toyota took a 2nd generation Prius to the salt flats of Utah to change perceptions. Up until then, hybrids had the reputation for solid efficiency, but hardly for performance.

By 2005, the popularity of the Toyota Prius had spread globally. Two years after being named Motor Trend’s 2003 “Car of the Year,” Prius was recognized as “European Car of the Year.”

The year was 2006, and time for the Toyota Prius to have a little fun. In Parker Brothers’ new Monopoly Here & Now board game, the classic car token was updated to resemble the 2nd generation Prius.

The popular PlayStation®2 racing game Gran Turismo 4 gave Prius fans everywhere the chance to focus on mph for a change rather than mpg.

In 2008, a fleet of custom Toyota Prius vehicles was enlisted to help Google map the streets of Japan and South Africa for their Street View effort.

If there’s ever been a benchmark year for the Toyota Prius, it was 2009. The biggest news came from Toyota, when they announced that the 3rd generation Prius offers an EPA-estimated combined 50 mpg rating.*

Happy ten-year anniversary, Toyota Prius! Since 2000, Prius has gone from a niche vehicle to a global icon for efficiency, technology and responsibility.

America’s favorite hybrid has reached an epic milestone: one million Prius vehicles have been sold across the country. This was celebrated with free, unique badges for Prius drivers.