Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday that it will introduce 21 new gasoline-electric hybrid models by the end of 2015 to meet the growing demand for fuel-efficient cars.

The automaker globally known for its Prius hybrids aims to sell at least 1 million hybrids vehicles globally every year between 2013 and 2015, a target it easily expects to hit in 2012, it said.

Stressing the importance of the hybrid market, Vice Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada told a news conference in Tokyo: "Hybrid technology is the core technology for plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles."