Autoblog

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid returns 112 MPGe

Eric Loveday — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Hybrid, Hatchback, Toyota

At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Toyota peeled back the sheets to finally reveal its 2012 Prius Plug-in production model.

Toyota describes the plug-in hybrid as the "greenest, most technically advanced Prius yet," and with an electric-only driving range of 14.3 miles, fuel consumption targeted at 112 miles per gallon equivalent and CO2 emissions listed at 49 grams per kilometer, we're inclined to agree with the Japanese automaker's bluster.

Unlike currently available Prius hatchbacks, the plug-in version is rechargeable using an electrical connection, rather than only from electricity generated while the vehicle is in motion. Toyota says that after the Prius Plug-in's 4.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is depleted, the vehicle seamlessly switches to hybrid mode. The Prius Plug-in can be fully recharged in less than 1.5 hours.

On the performance front, the plug-in Prius cranks out 134 horsepower, which Toyota says is sufficient to propel the hybrid hatch from nought to 62 miles per hour in a leisurely 10.7 seconds and onward to a top speed of 112 mph.

Toyota says sales of the Prius Plug-in will start in early 2012 - mainly in Japan, the U.S and Europe - and anticipates annual volume of 50,000 units. The Japanese automaker has yet to announce pricing for the 2012 plug-in, but some reports claim the automaker is targeting a sub-$30,000 price tag.

Hit the jump to read Toyota's zillion-word release detailing the world's most technically advanced Prius and be sure to check out our live shots from Frankfurt in the high-res image gallery.

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2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid returns 112 MPGe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Production Toyota Prius Plug-in to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Hybrid, Hatchback, Toyota

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 the 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.

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. It also says that the car's value and fuel-sipping abilities combine to make it the "ultimate eco car."

We'll bring you more details on the production version of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid when it takes the stage in Frankfurt.

Continue reading Production Toyota Prius Plug-in to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Production Toyota Prius Plug-in to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prius Plug-in deliveries set for March 2012

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Toyota, Electric

The Toyota Prius Plug-in is coming in early 2012, and, according to AutoblogGreen tipster usbseawolf2000, here are a few interesting details:

Two trim levels
Five exterior colors
Deliveries tentatively scheduled for March/April 2012

November, it seems, is the month when Toyota will start taking orders for the Prius Plug-in. Come January 2012, the pluggy Priuses will start rolling down the assembly line. Not convinced? Check out this Toyota start-up date sheet posted on Donlen.com and see for yourself. As for the Prius Plug-in's MSRP, how does a ballpark figure of below $30,000 sound?

Prius Plug-in deliveries set for March 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Plug-In Prius reservations start on Earth Day (sorry, Hawaii)

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:40:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Hatchback, Toyota, Electric

Plug-in Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

If the idea of getting around 83 or 87 miles per gallon in a plug-in Toyota Prius suits your fancy, then get ready to give Toyota your pertinent details on Earth Day. That's this Friday, April 22nd, by the way, and Toyota announced it will use the event to open up a "Priority Registration Web Site" for the Prius Plug-In.

Of course, since this is a limited program, the ordering system will be, well, limited. On Earth Day, "Priority Registration" will start here. This doesn't mean that you are in line for a Prius Plug-In. Instead, it means that you're allowed "first access to the Online Order System when it becomes available later in the year." Still, at least that's something.

Oh, and the Prius will only be available at dealers in 15 launch states - Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington - when it hits the market in spring of 2012. For some reason, online ordering will not be available in Hawaii. See the full press release after the break.

Gallery: Toyota Prius PHEV concept

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota Plug-In Prius reservations start on Earth Day (sorry, Hawaii)

Toyota Plug-In Prius reservations start on Earth Day (sorry, Hawaii) originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota to market in-home chargers in 2012

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Technology, Toyota, Electric

The Toyota Plug-in Prius won't be hitting dealer showrooms until 2012. Before that happens, Toyota is getting ready to produce an "add-on" for the vehicle, but it's one you don't take with the car. What are we talking about? An in-home charging station.

Priced up to $2,045 (200,000 Yen) if you include installation, two charging stations will be available: one mounted to an exterior wall and one intended to stay inside a garage.

The chargers will reportedly be compatible with other vehicle makes (assuming they use the same plug standards, we'd guess...) and the automaker is expecting to sell between 20,000 and 30,000 in the first year alone. That's a lot of electrification, no?

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Toyota to market in-home chargers in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zipcar gets Toyota Prius plug-ins ahead of the car's official launch

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Toyota, Electric

Want some data sharing with your car sharing? On Thursday, Zipcar added eight Toyota Prius plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) to its car-sharing fleet. The plug-in Priuses, which are not available for purchase until 2012, will be accessible to Zipcar members in Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA, San Francisco, CA, and Portland, OR. Zipcar's newest additions are part of a broad pilot program aimed at assisting Toyota in obtaining real-world data prior to the plug-ins' 2012 launch. On the flip side, Zipcar hopes to analyze the use of plug-in hybrids and assess the potential for a broader fleet rollout.

Back in 2009, Zipcar teamed up with the city of San Francisco to test a plug-in Prius. That car, which utilized a plug-in conversion kit provided by A123 Systems, offered up to 40 miles of pure electric range. The battery-only range of Toyota's plug-in Prius is limited to 13 miles, but Scott Griffith, Zipcar's chief executive officer, points out that "approximately one-third of our reservations are made for trips equaling less than 13 miles," which implies that those jaunts could be made in a Prius PHEV without using a drop of gas, as long as there's enough time to rechage between rentals.

Like all of the other hybrids in Zipcar's fleet, the plug-in Prius can only be reserved by the hour, with sixty minutes of seat time costing approximately $7.00.

[Source: Zipcar]

Continue reading Zipcar gets Toyota Prius plug-ins ahead of the car's official launch

Zipcar gets Toyota Prius plug-ins ahead of the car's official launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: 2010 Plug-in Prius prototype is just like your mother's Toyota hybrid, but better

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Toyota, Electric, Quick Spins

2010 Plug-in Prius Prototypes - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been two-and-a-half years since we last got behind the wheel of a plug-in Toyota Prius. The name is the same, but today's plug-in Prius is a totally different vehicle, and it was high time to see what changes Toyota has made to their plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in its ongoing effort to slowly get the car ready for the U.S. market.

Back in late 2007, the prototype had a NiMH battery pack and the converted vehicle was based on the second-generation model. The new fleet of PHEV Priuses in San Diego this week as part of Toyota's Sustainable Mobility Seminar are converted 2010 third-generation models, featuring upgraded lithium-ion packs.

Toyota has brought the PHEV Prius fleet to the U.S. to begin a two-year test and monitoring period. The vehicles are equipped with transmitters from Qualcomm that record not only driver behavior, but also how often the car is plugged in. We'll have more information soon with technical details about the mules and an explanation of Toyota's plans to test and sell the long-awaited plug-in hatchback for 2012. But before then, we wanted to grab some seat time.

The short version is that driving a plug-in Prius is almost exactly like driving a standard one, except that it remains quieter for a longer period as the engine is off more often (during short distances) thanks to a larger battery pack and improved all-electric performance. Acceleration, handling, braking - everything feels awfully familiar. Make the jump to find out more, including how you can now go up to 64 mph without using a single drop of fuel.

Gallery: Quick Spin: 2010 Plug-in Prius

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2010 Plug-in Prius prototype is just like your mother's Toyota hybrid, but better

Quick Spin: 2010 Plug-in Prius prototype is just like your mother's Toyota hybrid, but better originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2009: Toyota debuts its plug-in Prius for North America

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Technology, Hatchback, Toyota, Electric

Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota rather unceremoniously parked their plug-in Prius hybrid prototype at its North American market debut during the LA Auto Show, while their new Sienna minivan got a royal welcome at its coming out party. At a show that saw the production-ish Chevrolet Volt appearing in public for the first time, it might have seemed likely that Toyota would have made a bigger deal of this model, but we just sort of stumbled upon it while checking out its big brother, the Lexus LFA.

The company did issue a press release, which you can read in its entirety after the jump. In it, they announce that a global demonstration program will start this month in Japan and that the first batch of 500 Lithium-Ion batteries for those vehicles is moving down the assembly line as we speak. The 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHV) uses Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive package but adds their first generation lithium-ion battery so it can go all-electric further and more quickly than a traditional hybrid. The electric-only range is just 13 miles, but the Prius PHEV will be able to run all the way up to 60 mph in electric-only mode.

Beyond that, the plug-in Prius reverts to regular hybrid mode with the gas engine and electric motor trading off depending on load and demand. The gas engine is important on this Prius PHEV and cars like the Volt because it lessens the "range anxiety" drivers might feel in a pure electric - That uneasiness that comes from thinking you could be stranded when the batteries run down.

Japan and Europe split the first batch of 350 vehicles, but early next year, the next 150 examples are coming Stateside. These first PHEV vehicles will serve as a test program for real world driving needs, kind of like the MINI E program going on right now. Toyota has already announced that Boulder, CO is going to be the first community to get some of these plug-in hybrids - a surefire way for Toyota to see how cold temps affect battery performance. You can read the rest of the presser after the jump and there's a gallery available by clicking any image below.

Gallery: LA 2009: The plug-in Prius

Continue reading LA 2009: Toyota debuts its plug-in Prius for North America

LA 2009: Toyota debuts its plug-in Prius for North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Prius plug-in tops 65 mpg

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Hatchback, Toyota

Toyota says that plug-in hybrid versions of its Prius hatchback are averaging 65 miles per gallon in real-world testing. For those keeping track, that's a 15 mpg improvement over the upcoming 2010 Prius. As with today's hybrids, the actual mileage figure is highly dependent on the driver's right foot and these machines are likely based on the second-gen Prius that's currently roaming the streets, modified with a lithium ion battery pack that's capable of storing much more energy that the nickel metal hydride pack of the standard car.

A new Prius was debuted at the Detroit Auto Show last month and should go on sale sometime later this year, but it's still equipped with the older battery technology. So far, Toyota has yet to announce any specific plans regarding the future sale date of a plug-in Prius to regular consumers, and the automaker is now suggesting that any of its hybrids would be good candidates for PHEV technology, including the Prius, which seems like the most logical choice. In any case, it appears that Toyota is content to let GM push forward with the series hybrid Volt technology while its engineers remain in the PHEV data capturing stage.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Toyota Prius plug-in tops 65 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota launches plug-in Prius hybrid in UK

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:22:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Toyota

Click above for high-res gallery of the plug-in Prius

Toyota has been testing plug-in versions of its Prius hybrid sedan on public roads in Japan for quite some time and the models have made it Stateside for testing, as well. Now Toyota has begun testing its PHEV in the U.K. Along with EDF Energy, the Japanese automotive giant and undisputed hybrid development leader plans to run the plug-in Prius on public roadways for at least a year, starting today. As the car, with its very unfortunate paint job, is driven by EDF employees as part of the energy company's fleet of vehicles, both its capabilities and the cost savings to run the PHEV will be recorded and hopefully provide some sort of useful data to Toyota. Seriously guys, enough teasing. The real question is when Toyota will find enough reason to actually start offering the plug-in Prius for sale.

Gallery: PHEV Prius in the U.K.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota launches plug-in Prius hybrid in UK

Toyota launches plug-in Prius hybrid in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota pursuing plug-in hybrids and FFVs

John Neff — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Technology, Toyota

Remember a long time ago when we reported that Toyota would not be developing a plug-in version of its popular hybrid vehicles, specifically a plug-in Toyota "King of Kilowatts" Prius? Well, power to the people! Jim Press stated today at the National Press Club that Toyota is indeed "pursuing" development of a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Press also told Automotive News that his company was also "strongly considering" the sale of ethanol capable vehicles, or flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) in the U.S.

Toyota's effort in the way of plug-in hybrid technology comes in response to pressure both from the U.S. government and environmental groups who have called on automakers to look beyond hybrids for other solutions to our nation's energy problems. Automakers have been reticent, however, because plug-in hybrids require larger, more expensive battery packs that can withstand being charged to full capacity and drained completely on a daily basis. Toyota will have to work quick, however, as Ford may be the first automaker with a plug-in hybrid on the market.

Ethanol and E85 are not really on the radar of John Q. Public in the U.S., but domestic automakers are heavily marketing their efforts to produce more FFVs and increase the number of E85 pumps on the ground. Toyota expressing interest in developing engines capable of running on both gasoline and E85 implies it doesn't want to be the odd automaker out if E85 catches on.

[Source: Automotive News]

Toyota pursuing plug-in hybrids and FFVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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