Toyota's targets for Plug-in Prius

Toyota has announced drivers in Europe, Japan and the USA will be offered the opportunity to test a plug-in version of the Prius in real-world conditions. Set to be debuted at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, 200 of the cars will be tested in Japan with 150 more tested in both Europe and the USA.

Based on the third-generation Prius already on sale in Australia, the plug-in model set to debut at Frankfurt is a concept vehicle to assess the market for a series production version of such a car. Where the Plug-In variant differs fundamentally from the conventional Prius is its use of a lithium-ion battery pack in lieu of the older Nickel-metal Hydride technology; and the ability to recharged the car from a household AC/Mains outlet.

The Prius' Hybrid Synergy Drive petrol/electric drivetrain engine operates the same as it does in the standard car. However, with the newer battery technology, the plug-in Prius can operate over a 'target' range of 20km and at speeds up to 100km/h in electric-only mode. The 100km/h ceiling speed is double that of the conventional Prius in EV mode. Should the battery run low on charge, the petrol engine will fire up automatically, to maintain road speed and recharge the battery on the fly.

Toyota claims also that CO2 emissions for the plug-in Prius -- based on a newly implemented European Union standard (NEDC) -- are expected to be as low as 60g/km.

In Australia, with our 240-Volt AC/Mains power grid, Toyota anticipates the Prius would require 100 minutes to recharge. In 110V markets like the USA it will take around three hours.

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