Toyota has long been in talks regarding debuting a plug-in version for the Prius that would allow the driver to plug the car in
at home and charge the batteries allowing the car to drive for at least a short distance on battery power alone. And now all that talk is a reality, as Toyota has now officially announced the plug-in Prius and hopes to sell 50,000 of the fuel-efficient vehicles globally once it hits the market.
There are several hybrids to choose from. That being said, the Toyota Prius hybrid has been the most popular hybrid model on the market for quite some time now. The main reasons it is the most popular hybrid are simple; it was one of the first available, and the price is not to out of reach for individuals who really want to save on gas.
There are a couple of differences with the new Toyota Prius hybrids that make it much better than the older hybrid models. Of these differences, the most useful one is the difference in batteries. The Prius hybrids that are on the market today have used NiMh battery packs. Compared to the newer battery technology the NiMH battery doesn’t have the range lithium-ion batteries offer. The new Prius will now use NiMH batteries. The new cells will give the plug-in Prius a driving range on the battery only of 14.3 miles at 53 mph.
Once those batteries run out of power the traditional hybrid system kicks in to propel the vehicle. The best thing about the battery pack in the Prius plug-in is that Toyota claims the packs can be charged fully in only an hour on a standard AC outlet.
That means no expensive charger or associated costs. The car is far from performance oriented with a 0-60 mph time said to be 10.7-seconds and a top speed of 112 mph. The new plug-in tech and battery packs add 110 pounds to the old vehicle weight. Sales of the plug-in Prius will start early in 2012. There is no pricing information offered at this time.
Some information gathered via Daily Tech.
For more information regarding the new Prius hybrid please visit the Toyota Prius Hybrid Website.