Toyota Motor Corp. introduced the 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid at the annual Green Drive Expo in Richmond, Calif. The much-awaited version of the Prius has greater battery capacity that allows drivers to go farther and faster on electric power alone than in the standard Prius hybrid.
The car maker says it expects the new car to post the equivalent of 87 miles per gallon overall and 49 mph in hybrid mode. The plug-in Prius also aims to give more electric-only range to drivers who aren’t satisfied with the modest electric range and speed of standard hybrids while undercutting the price of electric rivals like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt.
The Prius Plug-in operate on battery power for up to 15 miles at speeds up to 62 mph, or 100 kilometers per hour. It will also charge quickly using a standard electrical outlet. Charging time is about two and a half to three hours using a 120-volt outlet and an hour and a half with a 240-volt outlet. A timer allows charging off-peak hours with start and end times that can be set in advance.
The external charging system uses a 24-foot cable that weighs less than four pounds and firs into a compartment in the trunk. The new model has the same passenger and luggage capacity as the standard Prius.
Toyota has sold more than one million Prius models in the U.S. since the first-generation model arrived here as a 2001 model. The recent introduction of the larger Prius v and the plug-in version will bring the Prius “family” to four models, including the Prius c, which will debut in 2012.
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