Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: Ultimate Guide, What You Need To Know

Home

News

Buying Guides

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: Ultimate Guide, What You Need To Know

Antony Ingram

Contributing Writer BIO

Antony is an automotive obsessive: Whether it drives, sits there looking pretty or intrigues from afar, he'll talk and write about it. Automotive... More

LATEST ARTICLE
BYD e6 Electric Taxi Fleet Launched In Hong Kong To Cut Pollution
It might not be going on sale to U.S. consumers, but the BYD e6 will eventually appear in the U.S... Read More

#6LEADERBOARD RANK
1815ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
4COMMENTS POSTED

6,296 views Mar 19, 2013

Follow Antony

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012

Enlarge Photo

Related Photo Galleries

See more photos »

Where are you hedging your bets when it comes to the future of automobile propulsion?

Maybe you're sticking with hybrids. Maybe you've already gone all the way to an electric car, or are rolling around in a range-extended Chevrolet Volt.

For some, the latest version of the Toyota Prius with plug-in hybrid technology is just what they need. Largely similar to a regular Prius but equipped with a larger, lithium-ion battery pack and an extra few miles of electric range.

We've compiled all our articles on the Prius Plug-In, bringing you all the information you'll need to decide whether it's the car for you.

The basics

For those already used to the Toyota Prius, little of the plug-in will be too surprising. Aside from a few bits of shiny chrome trim, some different colors and a higher-spec interior, it's all standard Prius both inside and out.

Under the skin it's also fairly similar, with the same 1.8-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline engine and Toyota's familiar Hybrid Synergy Drive system. A planetary "electronic CVT" gearset blends electric and combustion power as and when it's needed.

Only this time, you can spend much longer in all-electric mode, thanks to a 4.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

Official EPA figures state an 11-mile "blended" electric range (mostly electric, but some combustion power) and six miles all-electric. Total range is a useful 540 miles, all-electric MPGe is 95, and it maintains the regular Prius' 50 mpg combined rating.

If you're a little confused by all that, have a read of our guide to the Prius Plug-In's EPA economy sticker.

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid

Enlarge Photo

Driving the Prius Plug-In

We've got behind the wheel of plug-in Prius models several times, so between the following articles you'll find a selection of different opinions on how it drives and just how far it can go on the road.