First Test: 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Prototype (70 mpg)

[jpak]

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1009_2010_toyota_prius_plug_in_hybrid_electric_vehicle_prototype_test/index.html

Recently, the nervous system of the ever-attentive automotive blog world lit up like a Christmas tree about rumors that the EPA and NHTSA might be plotting to announce a fuel efficiency target of 60 mpg by 2025. "Sixty miles per gallon?" they squawked.

"Impossible!"

"Can't be done!"

"Certainly not in a mere a decade and half!"

If the bloggers were right, we just finished driving a time machine. A month ago, Toyota dropped off an example from its U.S. fleet of 150 Prius Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, which the Master Of Hybrids is deploying to gather real-world experience in advance of a production version debuting in 2012. In the 32 days we piloted our Prius Plug-In we accumulated 1880 miles (equivalent to driving from our El Segundo, California, offices to St. Louis; burned 26.2 gallons of gas in the process; returned 70.4 mpg (!); and very possibly had a glimpse of the future of the automobile. (Or at least, the upcoming Chevy Volt.)

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[Nihil]

1. Too late to R but can at least K it! (n/t)

[txlibdem]

2. If we're still using fossil fuels in cars by 2025 then we will all pay the price

Toyota deserves great praise for the Prius but hybrids have to be nothing more than a bridge away from burning fuel in our cars and toward driving fully electric vehicles. We will suffer the consequences in our economy and our environment if we fail to transition off of fossil fuels and drive only electric powered vehicles.

The plug in Prius' 70 MPG is impressive as they probably use a small battery pack, relatively, than the Volt. This should keep the price of the plug in Prius significantly lower than the Volt. If Toyota prices it too high it will fail to catch on.

Hybrids will be needed until 2015 or 2020 but no longer after that. BEV - battery electric vehicles - will be the only vehicles sold.