Toyota is making some outrageous claims for the production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid, due to debut at the Frankfurt motor show on September 15.
Try these numbers: 2.2 litres per 100km and 49 grams of CO2 per kilometre. At IOL Motoring we are, to put it diplomatically, not convinced.
The company sdays it's all thanks to a new, more compact lithium-ion battery that packs more amps into the same space, thus giving the car extended zero-emission, battery-only range, and the car's plug-in feature
Apparently Toyota expects the latest Prius to spend its entire existence plugged into life support, except for a short daily commute - which, if you think about it is mostly what our cars do anyway.
Electric cars still suffer the twin handicaps of short range and long recharge cycles, but Toyota says the plug-in Prius will deliver the best of both worlds, much as does the Chevrolet Volt (although working on a different principle), by using electric power from the national grid - with some help for the petrol engine if needed - for short, urban commutes and petrol power for cruising out in the country, which is when the combustion engine is at its most efficient.
The plug-in will become the flagship of the Prius range when it goes on sale worldwide, but Toyota SA would not be drawn on when it would be released in South Africa, saying that it would still be "a lengthy process" to put in place the necessary legislation and infrastructure.