Hybrid hiatus

TOKYO: Initial orders for Toyota's hybrid vehicle, Prius, which is so far only available in Japan, have far exceeded the company's expectations, and back orders have been piling up. The company planned to produce only 1,000 cars a month, but has been trying to increase output because of the high demand.

Toyota said many auto dealers throughout Japan have stopped taking orders for the high-profile Prius, Toyota's new gasoline- electric hybrid car.

Toyota didn't issue a company-wide directive to dealers to temporarily halt Prius orders, but individual dealers are declining to take orders because they aren't sure when they'll be able to deliver the car.

With overtime, the company is now producing about 1,200 vehicles a month, and this summer it intends to raise production to 2,000 vehicles per month. Once production increases, Toyota expects that its dealers will resume taking orders for the uniquely designed car.

The Prius, the first commercially released hybrid vehicle, is powered by an electric motor at slow speeds and switches to a gasoline engine at higher speeds. The battery for the electric motor is charged from energy released by the engine and the brakes.