Although Toyota has remained the dominant automaker in hybrid vehicle sales thanks to the popular Prius, the automaker has been slow to produce extended range plug-in hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles. In an effort to change that Toyota will begin leasing 150 plug-in Prius hybrids in the U.S. shortly in preparation of thousands of units in retail sales within two years.
In February, Toyota will be releasing only 600 of these plug-in Prius models globally. The vehicle will be in direct competition with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which will be available next year.
This new Prius will have a longer electric-only range compared to that of the current Toyota Prius. The electric-only range is good for 14.5 miles, still shorter than the Volt’s 40 mile range. After the plug-in Prius surpasses its electric-only range, it will continue to operate as a standard Prius.
Introducing the plug-in Prius hybrid via leasing in limited numbers will provide Toyota with ample field data about the vehicle as it undergoes every-day driving conditions. When it goes on sale, Toyota asserts that the car will be “affordable,” but retail or leasing pricing has yet to be released.
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Learn more about plug-in hybrids here.
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