Plug-in Prius Expected To Get Significant Fuel Economy Gains

In brief: The upcoming Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is expected to get "significant fuel economy gains," according to Justin Ward, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing engineer.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Prius Plug-in
Manufacturer: Toyota

The word

During briefing seminars at the Center for Automotive Research Management in Michigan, advanced powertrain program manager for Toyota's Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Justin Ward, said that a 150-vehicle test fleet of plug-in hybrid Prius cars is now starting in the U.S. and will deliver "significant fuel economy" ratings over and above the current 51mpg of the this-generation Prius.

Although Ward wouldn't give official numbers, pending figures from the EPA, he did say that the efficiency would likely be around 42% better than current.

That would give the plug-in Prius a MPG rating over 72mpg.

The plug-in Prius has a 13-mile all-electric range at low speeds and Ward says that the on-road testing of the 150 vehicle fleet will further prove the new rating expectations.

And so ...

Although plug-ins are expensive to build, they do deliver much higher MPG ratings than their hybrid-only cousins. In the end, their adoption is a question of economics.

Photo credits: Toyota

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