Claim: Toyota is the world's market leader in sales of hybrid electric cars.

is a Japanese multinational , and as of 2017 the world 's largest , automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota , Aichi , Japan . In March 2014 , Toyota 's corporate structure consisted of 338,875 employees worldwide and , , was the ninth-largest company in the world by revenue . Toyota was the world 's first automobile manufacturer to produce more than 10 million vehicles per year which it has done since 2012 , when it also reported the production of its 200-millionth vehicle . , Toyota was the largest listed company in Japan by market capitalization -LRB- worth more than twice as much as # 2-ranked SoftBank -RRB- and by revenue .   Toyota is the world 's market leader in sales of hybrid electric vehicles , and one of the largest companies to encourage the mass-market adoption of hybrid vehicles across the globe . Cumulative global sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid passenger car models achieved the 10 million milestone in January 2017 . Its Prius family is the world 's top selling hybrid nameplate with over 6 million units sold worldwide .   The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 , as a spinoff from his father 's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles . Three years earlier , in 1934 , while still a department of Toyota Industries , it created its first product , the Type A engine , and its first passenger car in 1936 , the Toyota AA . Toyota Motor Corporation produces vehicles under five brands , including the Toyota brand , Hino , Lexus , Ranz , and Daihatsu . It also holds a 16.66 % stake in Subaru Corporation , a 5.9 % stake in Isuzu , as well as joint-ventures with two in China -LRB- GAC Toyota and Sichuan FAW Toyota Motor -RRB- , one in India -LRB- Toyota Kirloskar -RRB- , one in the Czech Republic -LRB- TPCA -RRB- , along with several `` nonautomotive '' companies . TMC is part of the Toyota Group , one of the largest conglomerates in the world .