Hybrid cars are not yet big sellers in Canada, but these fuel-efficient, low-polluting cars are a growing presence on Canada's highways.

Toyota Canada Inc. announced Wednesday the sale of its 5,000th second-generation Prius mid-size hybrid, which remains a modest figure in the auto business. But sales are up by 30 per cent so far this year, which is worth noting.

The Prius is Toyota's bestseller, but hybrids account for a growing portion of some other model sales

The Prius is Toyota's bestselling hybrid. But the hybrid design also accounts for an increasing portion of sales of Toyota's other models.

"Hybrids are not a novelty," said Stephen Beatty, managing director of Toyota Canada. "They are the platform upon which we will introduce new, exciting Toyota and Lexus vehicles."

Hybrid vehicles use a combination of an electric motor and a gasoline engine to produce what Toyota says is clean, efficient power.

In stop-and-go traffic, hybrid cars typically run on an electric motor with batteries charged by the gasoline engine. On the highway, they usually switch to full gasoline power and drive like a traditional car.

Beatty said Toyota has sold more than 500,000 hybrid vehicles around the world, and hopes to sell one million early in the next decade.

In Canada, Toyota puts hybrid powertrains in a wide variety of vehicles, including the mid-size Prius, the Camry sedan, and the Highlander SUV. Lexus has two hybrids, the GS 450h sedan and the RX 400h SUV.

Hybrids make up a small but significant portion of total sales.

Toyota said it sold 273 Camry Hybrids in June 2006, about 10 per cent of all Camrys. It sold 63 SUV hybrids in June, about 30 per cent of the Highlander total.

Lexus has also done well with its hybrids. They account for 36 per cent of all GS 450h sedan sales and 20 per cent of the RX 400h SUVs.

But the bestselling hybrid remains the Prius with sales of 1,136 so far this year, out of a total figure for Toyota of 99,680 vehicles in Canada so far this year.