While auto manufacturers compete to build rechargeable electric vehicles and get them into the hands of consumers, Toyota is leading the way. Toyota expects to release its plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2010. The new Toyota plug-in will be similar to the current version of the flagship Toyota hybrid, the Prius.
The new plug-in hybrid will operate with lithium-ion batteries. It will be able to be plugged into a regular home outlet. It will combine a small internal combustion engine with an electric motor, in what is known as a “blended” mode. The plug-in will also be able to run in electric-only mode. With the blended mode, the driver can still get excellent performance, but at a much decreased fuel cost. The new configuration extends the range of the car greatly.
Lithium-ion batteries, which will power the plug-in, are smaller and have a higher output of energy than the current type of rechargeable batteries used in hybrid vehicles. Toyota already has a Toyota hybrid in Japan based on a lithium-ion battery.
If you’d like to know more about Toyota’s environmentally-friendly and fuel efficient cars, visit your Toyota dealer and look at a Toyota hybrid today.
