Toyota announced that it plans to begin leasing 500 plug-in Priuses for fleet use by the end of this year.
The vehicle would mainly see use in the hands of government and corporate employees as a test for more widespread application of plug-in technologies.
The converted Priuses will use a lithium-ion battery pack to provide additional power and plug-in capability. The vehicles will have an estimated range of about 12 miles on electricity alone before using the gasoline engine or requiring additional charging to operate fully under electric power again.
The vehicles will be leased worldwide. Toyota has allocated about 200 units for Japan, 150 units for the U.S., and 150 units in Europe.
To learn more about the plug-in Prius you can read about it here Plug-In Prius Boasts 12 Mile Electric Only Range
Source: Reuters.com
