Prius Plug-in Capable of 49mpg and EV Travel at up to 100km/h

The Toyota Prius has earned a reputation has one of the most efficient vehicles available in its class, and Toyota is not waiting to try to improve it even more.

For 2012, Toyota will offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius that will get 49mpg. It will look identical to a regular Prius with the exception of a “Plug-in hybrid” badge on the rear. It will be able to travel 15 miles at 100km/h or longer at lower speeds. The larger battery adds 123lbs to car's weight over a standard Prius. The car makes a total of 134hp.

The car can be charged using a regular home outlet. Toyota says that it will take 2.5 to 3 hours to charge from a normal home 110-volt outlet or 1.5 hours from a 240-volt outlet. A timer can also be set to ensure that charging takes place during off-peak hours.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid uses the same power train as the regular Prius with the exception of a larger lithium ion battery. The system comes with its own power cord that is stowed in the trunk.

The interior of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is also basically the same as the standard car. The battery is stored under the rear luggage space with no changes to storage area or rear seat room. This gets rid of the spare tire. Toyota added a gauge telling drivers the ratio of their use of hybrid versus pure electric driving and a gauge that shows the battery's state of charge.

There will be two trim levels for the Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Both models get LED taillights that are not available on the standard car and a standard touch-screen display that controls navigation, audio controls and the backup camera. The Advance trim level gets a head-up display, LED headlights, eight-way adjustable power seats, and an improved audio system.

Toyota has worked with a Leviton, a company that builds 240v charging stations, to develop a 240v home charging station to work specifically with the Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Toyota is planning even more versions of the Prius for the future. The Prius V with more interior room will be available later this year, and it plans a Prius C as well that will be a smaller Prius coupe.