Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
The Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid has long been awaited as a
Chevy Volt killer. We'll see. Toyota was the first manufacturer
to truly delve into their vehicles, finding ways to improve
their design, durability, and desire.
Over time they became one of the top car manufacturers of all
time selling more vehicles than any other with their flagship
model, Corolla, leading the way in compact 4 door sedans and
fuel efficiency. As the world gravitated towards alternative
fuels and back towards electric vehicle technology, Toyota usurped
the niche market with the Prius.
The Prius
was the first truly successfully marketed and sold consumer
hybrid vehicle, combining a gasoline combustion engine with
an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. Now, they are taking the Prius into a new level
of efficiency and they are doing it by listening to their consumers.
The 2012 Plug-In Prius model comes to us with a relatively
unmodified design that has proven a customer favorite, hence
the reason for very minor modifications. The key difference
in the 2012 version is the "Plug-In" feature, so that
you can easily plug in your Prius from any standard 120 volt
electrical socket. Now consumers don't need expensive in home
systems or have to drive and park their vehicle at an electrical
charging station for hours. They can simply enjoy that luxury
from home.
The new 2012 Toyota Plug-In Prius gets an impressive 5 stars
for improving the charging time of the battery. It now only
takes 1.5 hours at 240 volts and 3 hours and 120 volts - so
if you have a spare port near your dryer in the garage, you
can be back on your way driving by the time lunch is over. The
battery is an improved Lithium Ion that can run on purely electric
mode for approximately 13 miles before switching back over to
the gasoline combustion engine. Larger batteries are available,
but Toyota decided to sacrifice time on the purely electric
mode so you can have extra trunk room and lower future replacement
costs.
The engine is still a gasoline model, unfortunately. A diesel
upgrade would be a nice touch that Toyota should consider adding
to improve fuel efficiency and reliability. Another benefit
of a diesel engine besides lower maintenance costs are increased
MPGs and fewer CO2 emissions. For now, the 2012 Toyota Prius
Plug-In Hybrid comes with engine displacement with a total of
1798 cu in at 1.8 liter 4 cylinders design with a maximum torque
of 142 pounds.
In conclusion, many consumers will enjoy the plug-in capabilities
of the new Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. Higher MPG's, faster
recharging time, decent power will make this vehicle another
green car winner among environmentalists, fans and consumers.
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