The Prius plug-in hybrid can operate for 50km on electric alone. — Dewhurst Photography/Toyota/dpa
TOKYO: The world's best-selling hybrid car will soon be available in a plug-in version once again. A year after releasing the new generation of its hugely popular Prius, Toyota is set to give drivers the choice to recharge their hybrid at their preferred power plug.
After a brief hiatus, Toyota has slated the return of the Prius plug-in variant for April or May, and while it has not set exact prices, the Japanese automaker announced that it will cost about 6,500 euros more than the conventional Prius in Europe.
Instead of the conventional Prius's 1.3-kWh nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery, the new model will feature a lithium-ion block that can store up to 8.8 kWh and can be plugged in to recharge.
Whereas the old Prius plug-in only had an electric range of about 20km, the new generation will more than double that, travelling up to 50km on a single charge.
With fuel in the tank, the 122-hp hybrid can keep going for more than 1,000km, say the Prius's developers.
The electric range isn't the only thing that has been taken up a notch. With the new plug-in edition, the electric engine can reach an improved top speed of up to 135kph, without the 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine even being activated.
With the two power sources operating together, the plug-in model can hit 180kph — the same top speed as the conventional hybrid.
To visually distinguish the plug-in variant from its conventional hybrid cousin, Toyota has reworked the Prius's design and installed prominent LED headlights as well as a distinctive wave-shaped tail light below the sloped rear window.
