TOYOTA has notched up another milestone with the sale of its fuel efficient hybrid models topping eight million.

It is 20 years since the Japanese car maker developed the Prius petrol-electric hybrid which has gone on to become the trailblazer for alternative fuelled vehicles across the world.

Now the company - and sister brand Lexus - sells 30 different hybrid models in 90 different markets around the globe.

In the UK one in every three new Toyota and Lexus models is now a hybrid and the two marques now have 13 hybrids on the market ranging from the Yaris hatchback to the LS 600 limousine.

Since the Prius was launched in Britain in 2000 Toyota alone has clocked up almost 190,000 hybrid sales and last year sold almost 33,000 - a rise of more than 30 per cent on the previous year.

Their popularity shows no sign of waning and already this year Toyota has sold more than 22,500 hybrids in the UK.

The trend is reflected worldwide with the current total being reached only 10 months after sales past the seven million mark.

Toyota estimates that so far its hybrids have saved 58 million tons of C02 emissions and reduced petrol consumption by some five billion gallons compared to the amount used by petrol vehicles of the same size.

In the UK the hybrid line-up currently comprises the Toyota Prius, the seven-seat Prius+, Prius Plug-in, the Yaris Hybrid and Auris and Auris Touring Sports Hybrid, together with the Lexus CT 200h, IS 300h, NX 300h, GS 300h and 450h, RX 450h and LS 600hL.

The Auris, which is Europe's best selling hybrid car, is built in Britain at Toyota's factory at Burnaston in Derbyshire.

Overall, Japan is Toyota's biggest hybrid market with sales of 684,200 models last year followed by North America at 323,600 and Europe at 171,800.