There have been many upgrades and changes to the Toyota Prius since its inception and today Prius is a totally different vehicle, and it’s exciting to see what changes Toyota has made to their plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in its ongoing effort to slowly get the car ready for the U.S. market.

Back in late 2007, the prototype had a NiMH battery pack and the converted vehicle was based on the second-generation model. The new fleet of PHEV Prius models are converted 2010 third-generation models, featuring upgraded lithium-ion packs.

Toyota has brought the PHEV Prius fleet to the U.S. to begin a two-year test and monitoring period.  The vehicles are equipped with transmitters from Qualcomm that record not only driver behavior, but also how often the car is plugged in.  Technical details about the stats for  the long-awaited plug-in hatchback for 2012 will be available soon  and the tentative plan is to assemble the Toyota Prius plug-in at a plant in the good old U.S.A.

The Toyota Prius Plug-In achieves a fuel consumption of just 1.75L/100km and CO2 emissions of 41 g/km under specified driving conditions (combined electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle modes). Compared to the typical conventional mid-size automobile, driving a Prius  for one year is expected to reduce the fuel consumption by 83% and the CO2 emissions by over 2,000 lbs.

Prius is currently the number one selling hybrid in the world.  If you are interested in learning more about how you can purchase an electric plug in Prius, contact your local Jim Lynch Spirit Toyota Dealer today, or stop in to drive a new or used Toyota Prius, we have a great line-up of fuel efficient and hybrid cars.