Toyota has high hopes for new Prius plug-in hybrids

Toyota by far and large is the most successful manufacturer of hybrid vehicles in the world, and their latest target for the Prius plug-in hybrids? 50,000 units worldwide each year. Other competitors such as Honda did try in the past to combat the Prius with three generations of Civic hybrids, not to mention another two generations of Insight hybrids, but all those efforts have failed miserably to date in terms of sales.

Just what makes Toyota’s Prius keep on going like the sales behemoth that it is? Perhaps it could be due to the lithium-ion battery pack that allows the Prius can travel up to 14.3 miles at 53 mph using nothing but battery power alone, and once that reserve is exhausted, you need not step down and push the vehicle, but rather, you can let the standard Hybrid Synergy Drive system keep you going.

Not only that, the latest Prius also ships with a charging port so that you can always plug your beloved vehicle into a wall outlet – perfect for those who own garages and want to juice up their vehicle every night. Imagine that, you need not be tethered to a dedicated charger which will most probably cost you even more due to installation costs. And if you work less than 5 miles away from home, you can just drive the Prius to work and back again – using nothing but battery power.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Green, Transportation
Tags: hybrid, prius, toyota, toyota prius