Electric Toyota Prius

By the end of 2009, we may be seeing electric cars on the road. Granted, they’re just a few of Toyota’s electric car fleet, which they’ve been hard at work on for the last few years, but these experimental cars may open up the road for a bigger release of electric vehicles in the future.

Toyota recently announced that it will be releasing 500 electric Priuses for experimental driving by the end of this year. If all goes well, we’re betting we’ll see electric Toyota introduced into the general public shortly thereafter.

The next generation of hybrid Toyota, the electric Prius uses a lithium-ion battery pack for additional power. The lithium-ion pack can be plugged in and charged, and so far they can travel up to 12 miles on electric power alone. With most Americans having a commute that’s far less than that, theoretically the commute culture could be entirely gasoline-independent if they switched to electric vehicles. Toyota is working on extending the mileage capability of the electric Prius to allow greater distance without the use of gas.

Toyota is releasing 200 electric Priuses in Japan, 150 in Europe, and the final 150 right here in the U.S.

If you’re interested in buying a certified Toyota that boasts incredible fuel efficiency and don’t want to wait until electric becomes a more readily available option, head over to your hybrid Toyota dealer in St. Louis or Ballwin and ask about the hybrid Toyota Prius, the most popular hybrid currently on the market.