Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid News

Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid is Third Quickest Selling Vehicle in US

Eric Loveday — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:52:47 +0000

Spending only five days on the lot means that the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid was the third quickest selling vehicle in the US in April and second on the list in March.

Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Tops Plug-In Sales Chart in April 2012

Brad Berman — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:33:35 +0000

With a whopping 1,654 units sold in April, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid topped the sales chart in the plug-in vehicle segment.

Without much fanfare, Toyota started selling the plug-in version of the Prius a couple of months ago. But the power of the Prius brand—plus a base of loyal customers and a small-battery approach—has put the PIP at the top of the plug-in car sales charts in April, surpassing the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt.

As we reported yesterday, Nissan LEAF sales came in at only 370 units in April. Meanwhile, the Chevy Volt fared better with sales clocking in at 1,462 units in April.

But the the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid passed them both, logging 1,654 sales in April. The entire Prius line of cars did amazingly well, more than doubling in sales from a year ago. The Prii was the third most popular passenger model in the United States in April, beat only by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Will Prius Plug-in Owners View the Plug As Optional?

Brad Berman — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:21:15 +0000

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid went on sale in the past few weeks, without the fanfare that usually accompanies rollouts of new plug-ins. As I reported for KQED, Toyota hasn’t made a big deal of the plug-in Prius, because the company sees it as an extension of its hybrid offerings—rather than something novel. In other words, the PIP is a hybrid first and a plug-in second.

EPA Rates Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid at 11 Miles of Electric-Only Range

Eric Loveday — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:58:17 +0000

The EPA has rated the Toyota Prius Plug-in at 95 MPGe, but only 11 miles of electric-only range.

First Plug-In Prius Shipments Arrive in United States

Brad Berman — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:21:51 +0000

The ship carrying the first Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid production units made a delivery at the port of Benicia, Calif., near San Francisco, over the weekend. The Eminent Ace cargo ship is now headed to the port in Long Beach to deliver more of the first Priuses equipped with a plug to thereby push its efficiency close to 100 miles per gallon.

The Eminent Ace is expected to arrive in Long Beach around 9 pm tonight. A separate shipment, on the Pyxis Leader cargo ship, recently arrived on its 20-day journey from Japan to the Panama Canal, before it makes its way to Jacksonville, Fla., and then Newark, NJ.

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Set at 95 MPGe

Eric Loveday — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:10:05 +0000

According to Toyota Division Group vice-president, Bob Carter, the 2012 Prius Plug-in returns 95 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in electric-only mode and 50 miles per gallon in hybrid mode.

Toyota Now Taking Orders for Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Japan

Eric Loveday — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:55:19 +0000

Toyota now taking orders for 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Japan.

REEVs and PHEVs: A Distinction, or a Difference?

Dave Hurst — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:54:55 +0000

Recently, at the EV 2011 VE conference in Toronto, I had the opportunity to drive the new plug-in Toyota Prius and the Chevrolet Volt back to back. The differences in the electric-drive behavior of the two vehicles have the potential to catch people off guard as they weigh their EV choices.

Prius Plug-in Versus Volt: Which Costs Less to Drive?

John Gartner — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:54:05 +0000

Now that Toyota’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid has been officially announced, we can begin the comparisons with the other plug-in electric vehicle with an extended driving range, the Chevrolet Volt. The underlying question is which is more important to consumers: electric driving range, or total vehicle fuel efficiency?

The folks at Edmunds.com’s AutoObserver pointed out that the Prius PHEV will earn the right to drive in the HOV lane in California (because of the low total emissions), while Volt owners won’t have that luxury. Conversely, Volt buyers get the full federal tax credit ($7,500) because of the larger battery pack, but Prius PHEV owners get the smaller amount ($2,500). Still, the Prius overall will cost about $2,000 less after you figure in the tax credits.

Prius Plug-in Offers 15 Electric Miles, But Retains Wimpy Feel

Brad Berman — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:37:01 +0000

With Friday’s announcement of a $32,000 price tag for the plug-in version of the 2012 Toyota Prius, the market acceptance of plug-in vehicles will be tested like never before. After a federal tax credit of $2,500, the car dips down below $30,000.

It’s not that the Prius Plug-in Hybrid sells for so much less than competitors like the Chevy Volt—or that it's less expensive at all than the Nissan LEAF (after its $7,500 tax credit). It’s that it stacks up right against the top-of-line existing Prius—the established version without plug-in capability—which this year goes for $28,790. In other words, consumers wanting stellar fuel economy will soon be able to choose between a 50-MPG Prius with all the available bells and whistles—or the one that by plugging will earn an estimated MPG-equivalent of 87 miles to the gallon. What would you choose? (The cheapest no-plug Prius starts around $22k.)