Toyota has introduced he new Prius family at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show today. This refers to the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid, the Prius+ 7-passenger MPV and the revised Prius. Toyota has also announced its plans of introducing 10 new hybrids by 2015.
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid represents the latest development of the company’s modular Hybrid Synergy Drive platform (HSD) which in this case produces 134 bhp from a lithium-ion battery with a high capacity of 4.4kWh and a weight of only 80kg that is mated to a petrol engine.
Offering a choice of three modes in which the car can be driven (HV, EV and EV-City), the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid can travel up to around 14.3 miles on just electric power and can return as much as 134.5 mpg, with CO2 emissions as low as 49 g/Km when the petrol engine kicks in.
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid weights 1,420 Kg (50 Kg heavier than the regular Prius) mainly due to its batteries, which by the way can be fully recharged in only 1.5 hours at a standard, 230V household outlet.
The main markets for this car will be Japan, USA and Europe, with the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid price remaining unknown at this point. Availability will start from early 2012.
Moving on to the Toyota Prius+ the first European MPV which offers 7 seats and a full hybrid powertrain promises class leading fuel consumption figures of only 65.7 mpg, and CO2 emissions of 99 g/Km.
The Toyota Prius+ has a drag coefficient of just 0.28, and in terms of dimensions it is 155 mm longer, 30 mm wider and 85 mm higher than the standard Prius. Its wheelbase hs been extended by 80 mm in order to make room for the 3 rows of seats, while the luggage compartment provide 200 litres worth of space, expandable to 505 litres.
The Toyota Prius+ uses the Hybrid Synergy
Drive powertrain which combines a 1.8-litre 98 bhp Atkinson cycle petrol plant with a 60 kW electric motor. The total system output is 134 bhp, which is enough to make the Prius+ accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 106 mph.
The Prius+ can travel for up to 1.2 miles on just electricity. Sales across Europe will start in the the first half of 2012, and the company’s target is of 18,000 units sold per year.
As for the revised Toyota Prius Hybrid, the car comes with a few improvements both at the interior and exterior design, while its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain has been improved by 26 percent in terms of CO2 emissions, and by 30 percent in terms of power.
The new Toyota Prius is now capable of returning 74.2 mpg, while CO2 emissions are as low as 89 g/Km.
