Toyota to Debut 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid with up to 107MPG at the Frankfurt Motor Show
The car differs from the standard Prius because it uses lithium-ion batteries to power the electric motor, instead of the nickel metal hydride battery pack in the current version. These batteries can be recharged by plugging into mains electricity.
The addition of a compact lithium-ion battery with plug-in capability increases both the efficiency as well as the car's all-electric driving range to around 13 miles or 21 km at speeds of up to 62mph (100km/h). Once the battery is depleted the PHEV reverts to its hybrid mode and operates as a regular Prius.
Other than its lithium-ion drive battery — a standard Prius uses nickel metal hydride — Prius plug-in's running gear is virtually identical to a standard Prius. The cost to charge its 1 kW-hour drive battery, which charges in less than three hours at a 110-volt outlet, is negligible — less than 10 cents per charge at Ameren's current residential rates.
Press Release
The new Prius Plug-in Hybrid - the greenest, most technically advanced Prius yet
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.