Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, has celebrated one million hybrid car sales just eleven years after the launch. In Milan, Italy, head of Lexus Europe Alain Uyttenhoven offered a free Lexus NX 300h to a Lexus customer, Aldo Pirronello, as part of the celebration.

According to Hybrid Cars, Toyota's heritage can be traced in Lexus to a hybrid version of the RX 350 crossover, called the RX 400h. That first Toyota hybrid was launched in the year 2005. Last year, the 2015 NX, Lexus brand's first compact crossover sports utility vehicle, was launched with a hybrid version.

Lexus expanded its hybrid line-up gradually, after launching the RX 400h in 2005. Today the Japanese brand is offering 10 hybrid models. The GS 450h, its first full hybrid premium sedan, was the next one to come out on the market, in 2006.

The GS 450h was followed in 2007 by the LS 600h, a luxury hybrid sedan. In 2009 was launched the HS 250h and the CT 200h, the first Lexus luxury hybrid compact, came out in 2011.

In 2012 was launched the ES 300h, then in 2013 were launched the IS 300h and the GS 300h. In 2014 was launched the NX 300h, the first luxury mid-sized crossover. At the end of 2015 was launched the RC 300h, the first luxury hybrid sports coupe.

With its product line-up, today Lexus has become the world's largest luxury hybrid brand. The Japanese major carmaker Toyota has a strategy of becoming number one in global hybrid sales and Lexus is part of this strategy. Last year, Toyota reached sales of eight million hybrid cars.

According to Motoring Research, Tokuo Fukuichi, president of Lexus International, said that for their brand the signature powertrain technology continues to be the hybrid system. The Lexus brand counts on the worldwide popularity of the hybrid technology to achieve ambitious environmental goals for 2050, Fukuichi added. The president of Lexus International also expressed his content for the fact that more than one million customers worldwide have chosen the Lexus hybrid line-up.

For the Lexus brand, Europe makes its largest hybrid market and Italy was a logical destination for celebrating reaching one million sales. From all the cars sold by the brand in Europe last year, 64 percent were hybrid.

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