Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale in the first half of 2012

Toyota has announced the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale in the first half of 2012, priced at less than £31,000.

With the Toyota Prius retaining its 1.8-litre petrol engine, the enhanced hybrid drive train is set to deliver exceptional fuel economy and emissions without any of the all-electric alternatives’ range anxiety, while undercutting the forthcoming Vauxhall Ampera by £3,000.

The exact efficiency figures are yet to be officially homologated, but Toyota is confident the Toyota Prius Plug-in will return 134.5mpg on the EU combined testing cycle while emitting just 49g/km CO2.

This gives the Toyota Prius Plug-in an electric-only range of over 14 miles – compared to the current car’s 1.5 mile electric max – while the continuing presence of the petrol engine means you should always be able to find somewhere to refuel.

Toyota Prius Hybrid’s combination of 1.8-litre petrol engine and battery power, plus its full recharge time of an hour and a half, should help hurdle the major EV consumer barrier of range anxiety and flat-battery-panic. The latest in the line of best-selling Toyota Prius cars can cover up to 14 miles in pure EV mode. Usefully, both from a consumer and PR perspective; Toyota are actually testing their economy claims with the new Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid being assessed in real-world demonstration programmed with 200 prototype Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Europe – 20 of them in London. Businesses will save on fleet costs thanks to a 100 per cent write-down allowance and lower National Insurance contributions. Power to the (electric) people!

The pricing is competitive compared to the latest EV models on the market, but Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid offers more flexible performance, thanks to its powertrain which combines an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery and a petrol engine. The convenience and efficiency of Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid extends to the system for recharging the lithium-ion battery. Prior to official homologation, Toyota predicts Prius Plug-in Hybrid will emit 49g/km of carbon dioxide and achieve 134.5mpg combined cycle fuel economy. Ewan Shepherd, General Manager Toyota/Lexus Fleet Services said: “Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be an exciting and valuable addition to what is already an industry-leading Toyota range that delivers significant financial benefits to companies and company car drivers with advanced and highly efficient models such as Toyota Prius and the British-built Auris Hybrid.”

The advantages of the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid are being measured in real-world demonstration programmed with 200 prototypes Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) in Europe – 20 of them in London.