Toyota announces plug-in Prius
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Toyota has announced a new plug-in version of its Prius hybrid. Plug-in technology allow a hybrid's batteries to be charged from the mains like those on a straight electric car. The main benefit compared with a standard hybrid is that a plug-in hybrid can spend a far greater proportion of the time running in electric-only mode, which produces fewer tail-pipe emissions – just 59g/km, according to Toyota. One spur to this long-expected development is likely to have been the forthcoming arrival of GM's similarly-sized Chevrolet Volt, which will run mainly on electric power but use an internal combustion engine as a back-up range-extender.
The plug-in Prius, which is the first Toyota to use lithium-ion battery technology, will initially be available only in limited numbers as part of a leasing programme. Toyota will deliver 600 of the cars during the first half of 2010 of which only 200 will come to Europe. Just 20 have been allocated to the UK, although sales to the general public in large volumes are expected to follow within two years.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments