The leading Japanese car manufacturers have said that the Prius doesn’t cause as much harm to the environment as a sheep. For the moment we will have to trust that the Toyota team were brave enough to come into close enough contact with the sheep’s rear end that rigorous tests could be performed.

Whether or not the hybrid’s produces less harmful emissions than the farm animal, it is important to factor in the pollution caused by manufacturing the vehicle. Eco-warriors will also point out that the mineral mining and smelting needed to create the large Prius batteries will have a significant environmental impact.

Toyota will be quite happy to hear that there advert has caused such conjecture. The humorous promotion is expected to prove successful in raising the brand’s worldwide profile, and perhaps encouraging people to invest in their very own green car.

The Japanese company are growing increasingly reliant upon sales of the Prius, in order to offset decreasing sales of their other offerings. The amount of sales on a raw volume basis dropped by a whopping 5.5% during December, while annual sales have decreased slightly over the last year. Fortunately for Toyota, sales of the hybrid shot up by 14.2% during December.

Bob Carter, Group Vice President for Toyota U.S. Sales is extremely confident in the eco-friendly motor. He said, ‘we will end the decade with Prius being the number one nameplate in the industry’.

In order for Mr Carter’s dreams to come to fruition the Prius will have to beat off stiff competition from General Motors’ Volt plug-in Sedan and the Nissan Leaf. There has already been a vast amount of consumer interest in both of these vehicles.

Mike Michels, representative of Toyota, revealed that the company will showcase a bigger wagon-type Prius at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit this month. It is hoped that more people will turn their back on their old conventional motors once they catch a glimpse of this impressive new vehicle.

Professional skateboarder Bob Burnqist says that he is ‘looking forward to a bigger car without compromising the sustainability factor’, in a promotional video for the new Prius.

People keen on doing their bit for the environment will be excited at the prospect of seeing ‘a wide array of exhibitors featuring the latest in environmental technologies for automotive and lifestyle’, according to Barron Meade, Chairman of the 2011 NAIAS.

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