The Toyota Prius introduced the first mass-produced hybrid powertrain when it launched in Japan in 1997.
The original Prius used Toyota’s Hybrid System, combining a gasoline engine with electric motor-generators and a battery pack. Its power-control system could select gasoline power, electric assistance, or a combination of both according to driving conditions.
Toyota had previously sold the Coaster Hybrid minibus in limited numbers, but the Prius was the first hybrid passenger car produced on a large commercial scale. It arrived internationally in 2000 and became a major symbol of fuel-efficient motoring.
The Honda Insight, introduced in 1999, was an important early rival but came after the Prius. Hybrid cars also existed as prototypes and limited-production vehicles before 1997, so “first mass-produced hybrid” is more precise than simply “first hybrid car.”