2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Rated at 87-MPGe, 49-MPG
After debuting the car earlier this week at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Toyota has now released official details on the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid including expected fuel economy numbers. While it’s not quite up to the much-hyped Chevy Volt, the Prius PHEV will feature, “more affordable pricing than pure electric or range-extender type vehicles,” says Toyota; though no numbers have yet been released.
With a 15 mile electric only range, it falls well short of the Volt and is a few ticks shy in terms of a MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating of 87 MPGe, compared to 96 for the Volt. However, the Prius PHEV is more efficient after, with a 49-mpg rating once it reverts to its conventional hybrid mode, compared to 37-mpg with the Volt. And if it matters to your wallet, the Toyota uses conventional 87 octane gas, while the Volt required premium.
Charging for the Prius PHEV doesn’t take too long with a 2.5 to 3 hour charge using a conventional 120v household outlet or just 1.5 hours with a more powerful 240v household outlet.
With the use of a lithium-ion battery pack, the Prius PHEV does gain 123 lbs but doesn’t give up any space in the passenger or cargo departments. One thing it does gain Toyota’s new Entune system, as first seen on the Prius v. Additions to this system for the PHEV include Charge Management, Remote Air Conditioning System, Charging Station Map, Vehicle Finder and an Eco Dashboard.
GALLERY: 2012 Prius PHEV
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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Watch out - this car could be a category killer in the plug in space! It is considerably better priced than the Chevy Volt and provides basically the same functionality. http://youarewhatyoudrive.blogspot.com
No not priced much better than the volt, only a couple grand cheaper after volts tax credit