2010 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid at 2009 L.A. Auto Show
- Competes with: Chevy Volt, Mini E
- Looks like: A regular Prius with more graphics and an electrical socket
- Drivetrain: Plug-in electric hybrid with lithium-ion battery
- Hits dealerships: 150 test cars hit select markets in 2010
The Prius will work in much the same way as the Volt, with a gas engine acting as a range extender when the battery is depleted. Toyota says that battery range is only 13 miles versus the Volt’s 40 mile all-electric range.
Luckily for Toyota, the first plug-in Prius will go out to a select group of customers and test partners that will scrutinize daily life with the car before it goes on sale to the public.
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"The Prius will work in much the same way as the Volt, with a gas engine acting as a range extender when the battery is depleted..."
This is not accurate. The Volt is a series hybrid, which means that the vehicle is at all times propelled by electric motor(s). Electricity to do that comes from the traction battery or the gasoline motor/generator on board. The Prius, on the other hand, is a parallel hybrid, which can be propelled by the electric motor exclusively, the gasoline engine exclusively, or a combination of the two. The Plug-in Prius will be the same as the current Prius, except for a much larger battery pack. That will give the Plugin Prius Driver the option of leaving it in the standard hybrid mode, where both power sources share the load and the gas mileage goes up above the current figures because it will run more often on electricity. If the driver chooses electric only driving, it will go 12 to 13 miles at highway speeds until the battery drops down. After that it will operate as a normal Prius, but the gasoline motor will not attempt to put a full charge back into the battery pack. You'll have to plug-in at home to do that.
The Prius and Volt are completely different vehicles.
The Volt is an electric car with a bauble to extend its range.
The Prius is a gasoline car with a bauble to improve its fuel efficiency.
This will sell.
If we drive 10 miles / day * 300 days / year, we can drive 3,000 miles / year which is typically 1/4 of the distance driven in a year on average.
If Plugin Prius is priced at 30K and Volt at 40K, many would go for Prius.
Prius-III is already #1 seller in Japan for the last 6 months. It sells more than Corolla & Camry put together. They could not sell more in US, since the battery supply is not enough. Battery makers are ramping up their production. So next year, expect more Prius to be sold here in US as well.
GM's CEO Ed Whitacre recently announced that the Volt will be sold in the low 30's. In his post above, Dan mentions they are two different vehicles. The Volt will prove out to be a more efficient vehicle; with its 40 mile AER, most people will be able to travel using no gasoline. Around 78% of the driving population travels less than 40 miles per day. The Volt has a maximum speed of 100 mph and will easily and safely pass other vehicles on the highway. Please visit GM-Volt.com for frequent updates on the Volt.
Lol funny how people have to assume oh because its a toyota it will sell more than the volt, and then go on about how it will save so much with its measly 13 mile range and bla blah, just admit, The volt is way better, 40 miles, around the same price range, and 40 miles is like, about 4 times that of the 13 miles. Stop trying to glorify the prius, it does what it does well, its highly fuel efficent. The volt is allowing gasoline free range for 70 sum percent of the country who drives less than 40 miles a day. 13 off a plug in hybrid when Toyota is suppose to be the "leader" in hybrids is pathetic.
13 is not so great... but when is the Volt actually going to get here? When economically feasible... when GM develops the battery tech... when gas hits $4.00/gallon? Who knows, it is all just promises right now. I will bet Toyota, who already has the hybrid with the best mileage, is going to have a product out before GM (and probably at a better price).
Well, Eriksson, 40 mi is only a tiny little bit over 3 times, not the 4 times u stated. It's important to go to school and learn Math...
Toyota is NOT supposed to be the leader in hybrids; IT IS THE LEADER. It has the Prius out over 10 years ago, with GM has nothing other than the its own electric vehicle that it eventually killed itself. Moreover, none of the current GM hybrid vehicle has a mileage of 50+ mpg, which Toyota has. It is, however, pathetic for GM, being the #1 automaker for so long until 2 years ago, that it doesn't have 1 single hybrid vehicle available in mass produced format. What a joke.
Having said that, I'm not a Toyota fan at all. I've to say, for all practical urban use purpose, Nissan has both GM and Toyota beat on the soon to be available Leaf. If u r an early adopter, Nissan will actually have your own electrical outlet (220/240V) installed for free (with gov't funding). Now that's a real strategy - not just selling u an electric vehicle, but to make sure that the infrastructure is there as well. This is 0 emission, 0 gas, and 100% green for "owning" a personal vehicle (other than a bicycle).
The Leaf is compatible in size with a mid-size class car (interior volume), priced at around 30K, and can go at hwy speed limit (actually, more than the speed limit).
I'm just surprised no one even brought this up...
This would be a good car in today's world. It is really time that people resort to electrical cars and hybrids because the environment has long been suffering from the pollution brought about by vehicles.
@ Arumo Roy: Spot on with your 1st 2 paragraphs. Ericksson.
Your post before the official numbers came out. So, the latest is that the charger is NOT "FREE" for ALL with gov. funding. If it was free, BPs of this world would go straight to washington protesting. It is only free in selected market & there's a qualification process as I understand.
And, yes, I have chosen the Nissan LEAF. It is awesome. Also, YES, I have test driven the LEAF and it really game changer, like prius was 10 years ago.
GM - were gas guzzlers, money suckers, out of date & out of touch Unionized overpaid, union "leaders" overpaid workers, hence overpriced vehicles; now want to change their image....At least Volt is a start...We'll see as the market matures.
The losers should be the Oil companies, and not the car companies.