The Toyota Prius is about to get greener! A new plug-in hybrid model due to be announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show emits less than 60g/km of CO2.
The car, currently still in concept form replaces the nickel-metal hydride battery of previous Prius iterations with a more efficient lithium-ion set-up which allows for a 12.5 mile range in electric only mode. This new battery also allows for quicker charging with Toyota claiming that from a 230V socket the battery will be fully charged in one and a half hours.
Power comes from the familiar 1.8-litre engine which produces 97bhp and 142Nm of torque whilst the electric motor puts out 79bhp and 207Nm.
Toyota plans to get 500 plug-ins on the road early next year as part of a lease programme. Out of these 500, 150 will make it to European countries where Toyota can evaluate real world performance and gain an insight into the reception from the public. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express