Designed to extend the Prius’ reputation for fuel-efficiency—and its all-electric driving range—farther than ever before, the new Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid recently earned a place on Forbes’ list of “Most Anticipated Cars of 2012.”
The Prius Plug-in builds on the successful formula of the world’s best-selling hybrid, but adds a new 4.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to enable up to 15 miles of driving on electricity alone, at speeds of up to 62 mpg; but then, if the batteries run out of juice, the car can leverage the same Hybrid Synergy Drive found in the standard Prius to deliver hundreds of more miles of traveling with an EPA combined driving mark of 49 mpg. Thanks to quick charging times, it also will be easy for drivers to recharge that battery pack during their daily routine.
A full recharge takes about 2.5 to 3 hours using a standard 120-volt outlet or as little as 1.5 hours with a 240-volt unit. In addition, Toyota has collaborated with the EV supply equipment company Leviton to develop home-charging solutions specifically for the Prius Plug-in. The home chargers are available in 120- and 240-volt configurations, and feature compact and simple-to-use designs, full UL certification, affordable pricing, and a Prius-exclusive web portal at Leviton.com/Toyota.
The 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid will roll out to select launch markets in the U.S. in the coming year, with an MSRP that begins at $32,000 and includes a wide range of premium content; it will be available nationwide in 2013.
For more information, contact your local Toyota dealer.
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