All you ever wanted to know about the Next
evolution
of the world's greenest hybrid
As you've surely heard by now,
Toyota Motors is expanding the
world's best-selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius into a full family during
spring 2012. Soon,
you will not have only one amazing, 50 mpg Toyota Prius
from which to choose but you'll have four:
the compact Toyota Prius C,
a larger cabin in the Toyota Prius V, the
original but still astonishing Toyota Prius II,II,IV, and/or V,
and as shown above in prototype
form the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In.
As the name implies, the Toyota
Prius Plug-In is a new form of hybrid; combining the already wildly
popular Hybrid Synergy Drive system - an platform that earns 52 mpg in
the city and has already sold three million units worldwide in its
short, dozen-year life - with a new all-electric driving platform, the
Toyota Prius Plug-In is sure to be another step forward in the fight
against rising gasoline costs, global warming, and carbon
emissions.
While all this is great, one of
the best parts of all is this:
Vermont has been deemed one of 13 states where the Toyota Prius Plug-In
will launch this coming spring. Lawrence Toyota
and our staff are
excited
about the possibilities of this wonderful new Prius, and we want you to
be just as excited. That's why we've put together this brief
information panel in order to educate our customers on exactly what the
new Prius Plug-In
is all about - what makes it tick, why
it's so crucial, and most importantly how you can get one.
The Technology of the 2012 Toyota Prius
Plug-in
Without
a doubt, the upcoming 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in is the most advanced
version of the hybrid driver's favorite car to date. The best
part
about the 2012 Prius Plug-in is that there's no way the vehicle can
fail--when there is no electricity being used due to a flat battery that
hasn't been charged, the Prius Plug-in operates exactly like the
current edition of the Prius. You can expect, at this point in
time, to
get up to 475 miles on a single tank of gasoline after the electricity
is depleted.
But what about the new technology, i.e.
the advanced
lithium-ion battery and the EV (electric vehicle) component of the
car?
The maximum EV mode traveling distance is currently marked at 13
miles. However with a recharging time of 3 hours with the
standard 120V
charging unit or only 1.5 hours with an upgraded 240V charging unit,
this means you'll be up and running in EV mode in no
time.
In
fact, the battery alone is what makes this car such a marvel.
While
some companies are counting on EV mode to run the car exclusively,
Toyota Motors was more cautious. The bottom line is that we as
a
society are just too young in the electric vehicle world to not be
worried about EV-only cars. Toyota's answer: use
small, low-cost
lithium-ion batteries that compliment the already stellar performance of
the Hybrid Synergy Drive system, and give commuters a way to travel for
less money at the pumps and with less damage to the
environment.
Though
these lithium-ion batteries are both an engineering achievement and the
route of the Prius Plug-ins power (both in terms of propulsion and
allure), they are also a cause of concern to many people.
"I've heard
the batteries are expensive to replace," is one thing we hear very
often. Luckily for you, the Prius Plug-in's lithium-ion
batteries are
designed to last for the entire life of the car--and when a Toyota
emblem is attached to the phrase "life of the car," you know you're
safe!
The engine of the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in is
also quite
remarkable, featuring an incredibly fuel efficient 1.8L 4-cylinder
composition that can achieve 98 horsepower (at 5,200 RPM) and 142
pound-feet of torque (at 4,000 RPM). The reason for these
figures is
twofold (aside from the fact that you aren't meant to haul heavy loads
such as with a Tundra!): not only do you achieve high fuel
economy
scores, but it also enhances your overall ride by making the vehicle
quiet.
Another enhancement to the Prius Plug-in's
engine is the
loss of a drive belt and an electric-driven water pump. This
reduces
the supplemental engine load, allowing the engine to control the flow of
coolant with increased precision like never before. Finally,
the motor
in the Prius Plug-in is designed to give you the greatest fuel
efficiency yet across many driving conditions. By operating at
an
incredibly high rotational speed it generates more output in a smaller
design, once again increasing fuel economy.
