Lots of people have been waiting for this news: the production version of the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will make its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September.
Toyota says the Prius Plug-in is the next “major milestone” in automaker’s 40-year quest for sustainable mobility (so, what’s the RAV4 EV, then?). The plug-in hybrid sedan features a newly designed, compact lithium-ion battery that enables the pluggy Prius to achieve a remarkably low fuel consumption rating of 2.2 liters per 100 kilometers (107 miles per gallon U.S.) and CO2 emissions of just 49 grams per kilometer.
The Prius Plug-ins’ affordability, according to Toyota, will make it widely accessible. Combined, its value and fuel-sipping abilities make it the “ultimate eco car,” says Toyota. While the Japanese automaker will continue to focus on hybrid vehicles without a plug, Toyota says the Plug-in Prius is its “flagship” that showcases the latest developments in hybrid-drive technology.
Look for more details on the production version of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid when it takes to the stage in Frankfurt.
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Toyota’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to go on sale to the mass market, makes its production vehicle world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The next major milestone in Toyota’s ongoing, 40 year quest for sustainable mobility and the ultimate eco car, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid represents the latest development of the company’s modular Hybrid Synergy Drive® (HSD) platform –credible, trusted and reliable full hybrid technology with a proven track record garnered over some 200 billion kilometres of driving worldwide.
The new Prius Plug-in Hybrid features a newly designed and more compact lithium-ion battery, developed to meet Toyota’s rigorous standards for reliability. Its extended EV cruising range enables it to achieve remarkable fuel efficiency of just 2.2 l/100 km, and to lower CO2 emissions to an unprecedented 49 g/km.*
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid sets a new benchmark in environmentally–friendly mobility by offering customers commuting to urban areas the best of both worlds. It addresses the specific needs of urban-based customers with a significantly extended EV driving range for shorter journeys. The efficient hybrid powertrain’s petrol engine awards the vehicle true long range capability whilst still returning the very low fuel consumption of the standard Prius. Moreover, the affordability of its proven HSD technology will make it widely accessible.
While Toyota continues to roll out Full Hybrid technology to new market segments through models such as the Auris and Yaris, the Prius itself remains a showcase for new technologies and further advances in HSD powertrain design, with Prius Plug-in Hybrid as its flagship.
*Target figure based on European homologation cycle – under homologation
