The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand) is a

plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...

liftback manufactured by

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 to 2016. The second-generation model has been produced since 2016. Production of the third-generation model is expected to commence in 2023. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid was the second most sold

plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which th ...

in 2012, and became third-best all-time in December 2014. As sales declined after the end of its production, the Prius PHV fell to fifth place in the global ranking by November 2015, after being surpassed by both the

Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a battery-powered liftback car serving as the flagship model of Tesla, Inc. The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-motor and rear-wheel drive ...

and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. , sales were led by North America with 66,800 units, followed by Japan with 48,800, and the European market with 13,100 units. The U.S. was the leading country market with 65,703 units sold by 2017. , cumulative global sales of both Prius plug-in generations totaled 209,000 units. '', cumulative sales of both generations of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid totaled 209,000 units since inception.''

Concept and demonstration models

The Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept was exhibited at the September 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the October 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, and the December 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicle was based on the third-generation Toyota Prius (model XW30) but outfitted with 5.2 kWh

lithium-ion batteries A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

. The selected battery capacity is the minimum required for a vehicle to be eligible for the U.S. federal tax credit of , which under the

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress () that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. The bill ...

is applicable to the first 200,000 plug-ins sold by an automaker. After displaying the concept version in these three shows, a global demonstration program involving 600 pre-production test cars began in late 2009 and took place in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. The demonstration vehicles were made available for lease to fleet and government customers, of which, 230 were delivered in Japan beginning in late December 2009, 125 in the U.S. by early 2010, and 200 in Europe in spring 2010. ''See details in Toyota Press Release'' All program vehicles were equipped with data tracking devices to allow Toyota to monitor the car's usage for further development of the plug-in hybrid system. The pre-production Prius Plug-in used three different batteries: two added batteries to provide all-electric drive and the standard hybrid battery which engages when the first two are depleted, allowing the car to operate like a regular hybrid Prius. According to Toyota, when the vehicle started, it operates in

all-electric mode Charge-depleting or EV mode refers to a mode of vehicle operation that is dependent on the energy from the battery pack. Battery electric vehicles operate solely in this mode. Most plug-in hybrids operate in charge-depleting mode at startup, and ...

, drawing electrical power directly from the first battery pack. When the first battery was depleted, it disconnected from the circuit and the second pack engaged. When the second pack was depleted, it disconnected from the circuit and the vehicle defaulted to conventional hybrid mode, using the main battery as the sole electrical power source. Pack one and pack two would not reengage with the circuit until the vehicle was plugged in and charged. According to Toyota, the demonstrator was rated at on the Japanese JC08 cycle with a combined efficiency based on 43.6% of driving in EV mode, and emissions of 41 g/km.

Fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, wh ...

operating as a gasoline-electric hybrid, like the regular Prius, is with emissions of 76 g/km.

Demonstration programs by country

;Australia The program in Australia included five demonstrator plug-ins allocated to government agencies. ;Canada In March 2010 Toyota launched its demonstration program in Canada with five demonstrator plug-ins in partnership with academic institutions, hydro-electric producers, and governmental agencies in each of the four provinces participating in the program:

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and

Québec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

. Canada is home to Toyota's global cold weather research center in Northern Ontario, and the country's cold weather will serve to evaluate its adverse effect on battery performance and range. In July 2010 the first demonstrator plug-in was delivered in Manitoba. The unit was shared and tested by partners

Manitoba Hydro The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board, operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Boa ...

, Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, and the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. The demonstration program in

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

was launched in April 2010. The 3-year program involved 70 demonstrator plug-ins and the deployment of dedicated charging infrastructure. The program set up more than 150 charging points at private parking lots of firms participating in the program, user homes, public parking lots and on public roads. The program was run by Électricité de France in partnership with

and the City and the

Urban Community of Strasbourg Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

, and is financially supported through a research fund managed by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. The City and the Urban Community of Strasbourg will leased five demonstrator plug-ins and also provided a subsidy to a local

carsharing Carsharing or car sharing (AU, NZ, CA, TH, & US) or car clubs (UK) is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. It differs from traditional car rental in that the owners of the cars are often pri ...

company to lease three demonstrators. The remaining vehicles will be leased to other public institutions and private companies. ;Germany The demonstration program in Germany was conducted in

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

with ten demonstrator plug-ins and the corresponding dedicated

charging infrastructure A charging station, also known as a charge point or electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), is a piece of equipment that supplies electrical power for charging plug-in electric vehicles (including electric cars, electric trucks, electric ...

. The program was run by German energy provider

EnBW EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or simply EnBW, is a publicly-traded energy company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany. As its name indicates, EnBW is based in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. History Foundation and development ...

. ;Japan

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (charing stations)

In Japan, Toyota leased approximately 230 demonstrator plug-ins to government ministries, local governments selected for the Japanese

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry The or METI, is a ministry of the Government of Japan. It was created by the 2001 Central Government Reform when the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) merged with agencies from other ministries related to economic activities, ...

's EV & PHV Towns program, corporations such, as electric power companies, and other entities. As part of the demonstration program and beginning in July 2010, two demonstrator plug-ins were made available for short-term rental in the city of

Gotō, Nagasaki is a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It comprises the south-west half of the Gotō Islands plus (uninhabited) Danjo and Hizen Torishima archipelagos in the East China Sea. Although the core islands of the city lay some 100 kilometers fro ...

. The rental fees were () for up to six hours, () for up to 12 hours, () for up to 24 hours, and () for each additional day. ;United Kingdom The demonstration trial in the UK began in late June 2010 with a fleet of 20 demonstrator plug-ins. Toyota partnered with Électricité de France to carry out a three-year trial, and as part of the program a number of charging bays will be deployed in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The trial Prius Plug-in Hybrids will be available through leasing to public sector organizations and business users. Among the organizations that received the first Prius Plug-ins are Transport for London, the Government Car and Despatch Agency, the

Metropolitan Police Service The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

News International News Corp UK & Ireland Limited (trading as News UK, formerly News International and NI Group) is a List of newspapers in the United Kingdom, British newspaper publisher, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the American mass media Conglomerate (c ...

and

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

. ;United States Prius Plug-in EDTA DC 04 2011 1829

A total of 125 demonstrator plug-ins were deployed in the US. In October 2009, Toyota announced its first regional program partnership in the U.S. with

Xcel Energy Xcel Energy Inc. is an American utility holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving more than 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers in Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico in 2019. It consists of four ope ...

's SmartGridCity program in

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Color ...

. The research project was coordinated by the

University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado sys ...

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI). Boulder offered the opportunity of monitoring the performance of Toyota's first-generation lithium-ion battery at high altitude and under cold climate. Other partnerships were made with

Qualcomm Qualcomm () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software, and services related to wireless technology. It owns patents critical to the 5G, 4 ...

and the

South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District, also using the acronym South Coast (AQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible for regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin and the Coachell ...

. Other regional programs considered were Northern and

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

and

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, which offered different conditions for vehicle performance and customer needs. In June 2010 the demonstration vehicles were delivered to

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

, the

Silicon Valley Leadership Group The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (abbreviated SVLG) is a non-profit advocacy group in Silicon Valley, California, in the United States. Its members are businesses that operate in the valley and its purpose is to influence public policy rel ...

San Diego Gas & Electric San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) provides natural gas and electricity to San Diego County and southern Orange County in southwestern California, United States. It is owned by Sempra, a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Di ...

and the California Center for Sustainable Energy. In the following weeks, an additional 30 vehicles were assigned to

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...

groups and companies, including the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. In August 2010 two demonstrators were delivered to be tested in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

's municipal fleet as part of the demonstration program.

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

was the first partner in

to participate in the program under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy's

Clean Cities The Clean Cities Coalition Network is a coordinated group of nearly 100 coalitions in the United States working in communities across the country to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fue ...

program. Two demonstrators were loaned in December 2010 and sixteen Georgetown employees tested the vehicles in three-month rotations. Five demonstrators were delivered to

, two were tested by the

New York City Department of Transportation The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) is the agency of the government of New York City responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure. Ydanis Rodriguez is the Commissioner of the Departm ...

and three by the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized ...

. As part of the demonstration program, Toyota delivered eight Prius plug-in hybrids to

Zipcar Zipcar is an American car-sharing company and a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group. Zipcar provides vehicle reservations to its members, billable by the minute, hour or day; members may have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee in addition ...

in January 2011. The

car sharing Carsharing or car sharing (AU, NZ, CA, TH, & US) or car clubs (UK) is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. It differs from traditional car rental in that the owners of the cars are often pri ...

firm selected three markets to make the plug-in hybrids available to its members, three cars in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, three in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, and two in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

Field test results

;Europe Toyota reported the following findings for the European demonstration fleet after about a year of testing, representing the driving experience acquired by the participants after driven: *Two-thirds of commute trips traveled a distance of less than , the expected

all-electric range All-electric range (AER) is the maximum driving range of an electric vehicle using only power from its on-board battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of an all-electric vehicle, it means the maximum range per recharge. For ...

in EV mode. *More than a third of the participants made long-distance trips of more than at least once a week. *The demonstrator vehicles consumed 36% less fuel than the comparable, best-in-class diesel vehicle, and almost 50% less than the best-in-class gasoline vehicle. *The maximum average fuel consumption figure observed was more than . ;United Kingdom Based on the results from less than one year of real-world use for the 20 demonstrators leased to EDF Energy, Toyota reported the following findings: *Driving in electric-only (EV) mode accounted for one-third of the distance driven in the demonstration. *The average trip distance was , with 59% of all journeys covering between . *Twenty-two percent of drivers were able to drive further than the official range in EV mode. *Fuel consumption data indicates performance is 27% better than an equivalent diesel-powered vehicle. ;United States Consumer Reports tested a demonstrator for two weeks and reported an

between upfront at the beginning of each trip. On a trip, the vehicle averaged , while on commute trips between the vehicle averaged with an EV ratio of 40 to 56 percent. The California Center for Sustainable Energy tested two demonstrators with 13 different drivers over seven weeks and reported an average combined fuel economy of on an average round trip commute of . The best average attained was on an average round trip commute of .

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...

tested a demonstrator for 32 days and reported average emissions of 80 g/km (0.28 lb/mile), an average all-electric range of , and an average combined fuel economy of over the accumulated during their trial. Based on trials with 160 consumers across the United States, Toyota found that testers charged the vehicle more frequently than they anticipated they would, with about 10 charges per week, but the electricity cost was lower than the testers thought, about for the entire six-week trial.

First generation (XW30; 2012)

For the first-generation Prius plug-in, the total

blended mode Blended mode is a charge-depleting mode of operation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in which most of the motive energy is supplied by the battery pack but supplemented by the internal combustion engine (ICE). In contrast, all-electr ...

is as rated by the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

(EPA). The EPA fuel economy rating is 95

miles per gallon gasoline equivalent Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPGe or MPGge) is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. MPGe is used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compare energy consumption of alternative ...

(mpg-e) (2.5 L/100 km; 114 mpg-imp) in charge-depleting (all-electric or EV mode) and a combined city/highway rating of in hybrid mode, the same as the conventional Prius liftback. The car was based on a third-generation Toyota Prius (model XW30) outfitted with a 4.4 kWh

lithium-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

co-developed with

Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Osaka P ...

. Deliveries of the production model began in Japan in January 2012, in late February in the United States, and by late June 2012 in Europe. A total of about 75,400 first-generation units were sold worldwide through April 2016. ''Global sales of the Prius PHV totaled 75,400 units through April 2016, with 42,700 sold in North America, 22,100 in Japan, 10,500 in Europe, and about 100 units in the rest of the world.'' After the conclusion of the demonstration program, the production version of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid was unveiled at the September 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Toyota ultimately only did a small production run of this first-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid between January 2012 and October 2016. A cumulative total of 75,400 vehicles were sold worldwide between December 2012 and April 2016. The United States led sales with 42,345 first-generation units delivered through September 2016, when dealerships run out of stock. ''Prius PHV sales totaled 42,293 units through December 2015.'' ''See annual sales in 2016. First generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid sales totaled 52 units in 2016 through September, when dealerships run out of stock. Deliveries of the second generation Prius Prime began in November 2016. A total of 3,788 Prius Prime cars have been sold between November 2016 and January 2017.'' Japan ranked second with 22,100 units, followed by Europe with 10,600 units, both through January 2017. The first-generation Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid has a maximum electric-only speed of . Because of that limitation, the

(EPA) rated the vehicle as having a range of in

(mostly electric, but supplemented by the

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combus ...

). The EPA rated the all-electric range at . In blended mode, the plug-in has a fuel economy rating of 95

(mpg-e) (36 kW⋅h/100 mi; 22 kW⋅h/100 km). When in hybrid mode, the vehicle has a combined city/highway rating of , the same as the conventional third-generation Prius. According to Toyota the Prius plug-in is expected to be rated in Europe at equivalent, with emissions of .

Drivetrain

The production version of the Prius Plug-in has two key modifications from the demonstration units based on the data and customer feedback gathered. The production version has a selectable electric driving mode (EV mode), allowing drivers to conserve energy for use in those places where EV mode is more efficient, such as city driving. Additionally, production vehicles utilize a single battery, allowing more

regenerative braking Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...

energy to be captured, extending range in EV mode. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid uses the

Hybrid Synergy Drive Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), also known as Toyota Hybrid System II, is the brand name of Toyota Motor Corporation for the hybrid car drive train technology used in vehicles with the Toyota and Lexus marques. First introduced on the Toyota Prius, ...

of the standard third-generation Prius (XW30), but with a 4.4 kWh

that significantly expands the

as compared to the regular Prius, and fully rechargeable from a domestic source. The hybrid system includes the '' 2ZR-FXE'', a 1.8-liter

inline-four A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...

atkinson cycle The Atkinson-cycle engine is a type of internal combustion engine invented by James Atkinson in 1882. The Atkinson cycle is designed to provide efficiency at the expense of power density. A variation of this approach is used in some modern auto ...

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...

VVT-i VVT-i, or Variable Valve Timing with intelligence, is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Toyota. It was first introduced in 1995 with the '' 2JZ-GE'' engine found in the JZS155 Toyota Crown and Crown Majesta. The VVT- ...

gasoline

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

that develops at 5,200 rpm, and at 4,000 rpm, a third-generation compact, lightweight hybrid transaxle, a power control unit (PCU), and an on-board charging system. Like the Hybrid Synergy Drive of the standard third-generation Prius, the plug-in has two high-output

electric motor An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...

s, one unit (

motor–generator A motor–generator (an M–G set) is a device for converting electrical power to another form. Motor–generator sets are used to convert frequency, voltage, or phase of power. They may also be used to isolate electrical loads from the electr ...

2, MG2) that mainly works to power the transaxle, and another smaller unit (motor–generator 1, MG1) rated at that creates energy during regenerative braking and acts as a starter for the gasoline engine. Maximum motor-drive voltage is 650

volt The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827). Defi ...

s DC. After the electric driving range is exhausted, the plug-in switches into hybrid operation at a pre-determined state of battery charge (SOC) and operates as a conventional

full hybrid Hybrid vehicle drivetrains transmit power to the driving wheels for hybrid vehicles. A hybrid vehicle has multiple forms of motive power. Hybrids come in many configurations. For example, a hybrid may receive its energy by burning gasoline, but sw ...

with a similar efficiency of a standard Prius. Net hybrid system output is 134

bhp BHP Group Limited (formerly known as BHP Billiton) is an Australian multinational mining, metals, natural gas petroleum public company that is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was founded ...

, allowing the Prius Plug-in to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 10.7 seconds and reach a top speed of . The maximum speed in EV mode is , or on European models. With a weight of approximately , the plug-in version is only heavier than the regular Prius. The Prius Plug-in has three drive modes, all-electric (EV), and two hybrid modes: Eco and Power. The EV mode is user-selectable and when running in this mode the hybrid engine control unit (ECU) operates the vehicle using only the larger motor–generator (MG2) if pre-determined parameters are satisfied, such as sufficient battery state of charge (SOC) and vehicle speed within EV mode range. The Eco mode is designed to maximize fuel savings for any driving conditions and modifies or smoothes out the

electronic throttle control Electronic throttle control (ETC) is an automobile technology which electronically "connects" the accelerator pedal to the throttle, replacing a mechanical linkage. A typical ETC system consists of three major components: (i) an accelerator ped ...

program to reduce throttle response, reducing the throttle opening to a maximum of 11.6%, and also modifies the operation of the air conditioning system. As an additional benefit, the Eco mode improves performance in low-traction conditions because the reduced output helps to minimize wheel skidding such as those caused by ice and snow. Power mode increases throttle response in the middle range more than normal.

Battery and range

The production version was unveiled at the September 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with a

pack that stores 4.4 kWh. Toyota estimates that the

varies between on a full charge depending on quick acceleration and braking, road and vehicle conditions, or climate control use. ''Click on the MPG tab to display fuel economy and range''. The lithium-ion battery pack can be charged in 180 minutes at 120 volts or in 90 minutes at 240 volts. Under the JC08 Japanese test cycle the Prius PHV range is , more than the achieved by the demonstrator. The

(EPA) issued two estimated EV range ratings to the Prius Plug-in. A driving range for blended operation electric-gasoline of until the battery is depleted. The second rating is for all-electric operation with a range of . EPA estimated a total range of until both sources of power are depleted. The regular gasoline-only Prius has an EPA estimated range of . The 4.4 kWh lithium-ion battery developed for the Prius Plug-in fits under the rear cargo floor and weighs . As a comparison, the nickel-metal hydride battery of the third-generation Prius, which has a capacity of only 1.3 kWh, weighs . A full charge using an external AC outlet takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours from a standard North American 120 V 15 A household outlet, or 1.5 hours using a standard European 230 V household outlet. The battery requires approximately 3.2 kWh of electricity plus of gasoline to provide of range. The included charging cable connects to the charging port inlet located on the right-rear fender. The charge port location was moved from the front driver-side fender in the demonstration model based on input from the program participants. The battery charger cable weighs just , is in length, and fits in its own compartment in the trunk area. The charge port provides

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...

(Light Emitting Diode) illumination for convenient night-time charging. A timer allows charging to take place during off-peak hours and can be set for either a start or end time.

Fuel economy

According to Toyota the Prius plug-in was expected to be rated at and emissions of 49 g/km under the

New European Driving Cycle The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) was a driving cycle, last updated in 1997, designed to assess the emission levels of car engines and fuel economy in passenger cars (which excludes light trucks and commercial vehicles). It is also refer ...

(NEDC). The EPA's official fuel economy rating is in blended mode and a combined city/highway rating of in hybrid mode, the same as the third-generation Prius liftback. The Prius PHEV overall EV mode/hybrid fuel economy is higher than the

Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid The ninth generation Accord is a mid-size car introduced by Honda in 2012 which received a refreshed front fascia, grill, headlights, tail lights and alloy wheel designs for the 2016 model year. With the discontinuation of the smaller European an ...

and both Ford Energi models, but lower than the BMW i3 REx,

Chevrolet Volt The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in th ...

and the

Cadillac ELR The Cadillac ELR is a two-door, four-passenger luxury plug-in hybrid compact coupé manufactured and marketed by Cadillac for model years (MY) 2014 and 2016 – with a hiatus for MY 2015. Using a retuned version of the Chevrolet Volt's Voltec E ...

. Based on the JC08 Japanese test cycle, the Prius PHV fuel efficiency is 61.0 km/L (143 mpg-US, 1.64 L/100 km), calculated from combined all-electric (EV) and hybrid (HV) driving modes, with only 38 g/km of emissions. The electric power consumption rate is 8.74 km/kWh. After the battery has been depleted, the HV mode fuel efficiency is 31.6 km/L (74.3 mpg-US, 3.16 L/100 km). The EPA's 2014 edition of the "''Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends''" introduced utility factors for plug-in hybrids to represent the percentage of miles that will be driven using electricity by an average driver, in electric only or blended modes. The Prius PHV has a factor of 29%, compared with 83% for the BMW i3 REx, 66% for the

, 45% for the Ford Energi models, and 33% for the

. ''See Table 7.2 - MY 2014 Alternative Fuel Vehicle Powertrain and Range; pp. 98; Table 7.3 for overall fuel economy (mpg-e), pp. 100; Table 7.4 for tailpipe CO2 emissions, pp. 102; and Table 7.5 for upstream CO2 Emission, pp. 105.'' In July 2014 Toyota set a record for the most fuel efficient lap around the

Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...

racetrack in Germany, with a Prius Plug-in achieving a fuel consumption figure of over the course of one lap.

Tailpipe emissions

The EPA rating for the

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

2012 through 2015 Prius PHEV tailpipe emissions is 133 grams of per mile, (83 g/km). The EPA also accounted for the upstream emissions associated with the production and distribution of electricity required to charge the vehicle. Since electricity production in the United States varies significantly from region to region, the EPA considered three scenarios/ranges with the low end of the range corresponding to the California powerplant emissions factor, the middle of the range represented by the national average powerplant emissions factor, and the upper end of the range corresponding to the powerplant emissions factor for the Rockies. The following table shows the Prius PHEV tailpipe emission plus total upstream emissions for the three scenarios, compared with other six popular plug-in hybrids and the average gasoline-powered car:

Safety

In the United States, the Prius Plug-in includes Toyota's Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS), which is designed to alert pedestrians, the blind, and others of the vehicle's presence due to significant noise reduction typical of a hybrid vehicle traveling at low speeds in EV mode. This type of warning device is mandated by the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010. The warning sound is generated by externally mounted speakers and it activates automatically only at speeds below about . The pitch varies with the vehicle's speed to give pedestrians a sense of whether the approaching Prius is accelerating or decelerating. ;Fire incident During the storm and subsequent flooding caused by

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

in October 2012, one Prius Plug-in and 16

Fisker Karma The Fisker Karma is a luxury plug-in range-extended electric sports sedan produced by Fisker Automotive in 2012. The cars were manufactured at Valmet Automotive in Finland. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated th ...

s caught fire while being parked at

Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

. The vehicles were partially submerged by

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...

s caused by the hurricane. In the Toyota lot, one Prius Plug-in burned, and two other Priuses, a conventional hybrid and a plug-in, just smoldered. A Toyota spokeswoman said the fire, "likely started because saltwater got into the electrical system." She also clarified that the incident affected only three out of the more than 2,128 plug-in or hybrid models at the terminal during the storm.

Other features

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid shares many of the same exterior and interior design elements as the standard 2012 Prius, keeping the

coefficient of drag In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient (commonly denoted as: c_\mathrm, c_x or c_) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment, such as air or water. It is used in the drag e ...

at . Among the design features exclusive to the plug-in are: unique chrome grille and bumper trim, chrome door handles, unique 15-inch alloy wheels, blue-accented headlamps, a distinct tail lamp design, and a new Hybrid Synergy Drive Plug-in badge. In the United States the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is available in two models, the standard Prius Plug-in and the Prius Plug-in Advanced, and offered in five exterior colors. The standard trim level includes all the features of the 2012 Prius Two Liftback grade, plus some features from the Prius Three and Prius Four grades. Standard features include heated front seats, remote air conditioning system (which can run either off the grid while the vehicle is plugged in or off the battery like the third-generation Prius), a charger timer, EV/ECO/POWER modes, three-door

smart key A smart key is an electronic access and authorization system that is available either as standard equipment, or as an option in several car designs. It was first developed by Siemens in 1995 and introduced by Mercedes-Benz under the name "Keyless- ...

with push-button start, new touch-screen display audio with navigation and an integrated backup camera,

Toyota Entune Toyota Entune is an integrated multimedia navigation and telematics system for Toyota automobiles that provides satellite-based information on traffic, weather, sports scores, stocks, and fuel prices via subscription through SiriusXM. When connect ...

, and

daytime running light A daytime running lamp (DRL, also daytime running light) is an automotive lighting and bicycle lighting device on the front of a roadgoing motor vehicle or bicycle, automatically switched on when the vehicle's handbrake has been pulled down, wh ...

s. Additional features of the Prius Plug-in Advanced include

head-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...

, LED headlamps, softex interior seat trim, eight-way adjustable power driver seat,

JBL JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. JBL serves the customer home and professional market. The professional market includes studios, installed/tour/portable sound, cars, music ...

premium audio and HDD navigation system and exclusive Entune Plug-in Hybrid Applications for smartphones. Additional safety features in the Advanced model include the

Pre-Collision System A collision avoidance system (CAS), also known as a pre-crash system, forward collision warning system, or collision mitigation system, is an advanced driver-assistance system designed to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision. In its ...

with

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control Dynamics (from Greek language, Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power (disambiguation), power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics) ** Aerodynamics, the study ...

and

Safety Connect Safety Connect is a subscription-based telematics system introduced by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2009 for its Toyota-branded and Lexus models. The system provides communications, roadside assistance, car safety, remote diagnostics, and other s ...

system.

Second generation (XW50; 2016)

The second-generation Prius plug-in is called the ''Prius Prime'' in the United States, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand and ''Prius PHV'' in Japan and Europe. It was first available in 2016 and is currently being produced. It has an EPA-rated

of , over twice the range of the first-generation model. The EPA-rated fuel economy is in all-electric mode, 40% more than the first-generation model, and the highest mpg-e rating in EV mode of any EPA-rated vehicle with an

. It is based on the fourth-generation Toyota Prius (model XW50) outfitted with a drive system powered by an 8.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. Retail deliveries of the Prime began in the United States in November 2016, and it was released in the Japanese market in February 2017. In August 2013, just months after that the first-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid went on sale, Toyota announced that the company was already working to develop the fourth-generation Prius (XW50). They also announced that unlike the prior generation, where the plug-in battery was added to the existing Prius, the second-generation plug-in would be developed in parallel with the standard Prius model. One of the major issues Toyota wanted to correct with the new-generation plug-in was to add additional

. Both the fourth-generation standard Prius and the second-generation plug-in would benefit from advances in battery, electric motor and gasoline engine technologies that would enable significantly improved fuel economy and driving performance, in a more compact package that is lighter in weight and lower in cost. The next Prius models would use improved batteries with higher energy density, smaller electric motors with higher power density, and the gasoline engine would feature

thermal efficiency In thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency (\eta_) is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, steam turbine, steam engine, boiler, furnace, refrigerator, ACs etc. For a he ...

greater than 40% (the third-generation Prius was 38.5%). The second-generation Prius plug-in hybrid, known as the Toyota Prius Prime in the US, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand, was unveiled at the March 2016 New York International Auto Show. Retail deliveries of the Prius Prime began in the US in November 2016, and, unlike the first-generation model, it was available in all 50 states. Toyota sales target for the US is about 20,000 Prius Prime models annually. The second-generation Prius PHV was released in the Japanese market in February 2017, with a sales target of more than 30,000 units per year. The second-generation's EPA-estimated

is , twice the range of the first-generation model. Its EPA rating is , the highest mpg-e rating in

of any vehicle with an

. The final mpg-e is a 40% improvement over the first-generation model, and higher than the 120 mpg-e that Toyota was targeting. Toyota was also able to make the fuel economy in hybrid mode equal to the regular fourth-generation Prius liftback. Unlike its predecessor, the Prime runs entirely on electricity while in EV mode. The 2017 through 2019 model years had a four-seat cabin layout with a center console between the rear seats. During the mid-generation refresh for the 2020 model year, Toyota replaced the center console with a seat, allowing 5 passengers to sit in the vehicle.

Specifications

Drivetrain

Like the related fourth-generation Toyota Prius, the plug-in version of the Prius is powered by Toyota's

(HSD) powertrain with a 1.8 L ''2ZR-FXE''

straight-4 A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...

gasoline engine with port-injection coupled with a dual motor generator drive system linked to a

pack. The Prius Prime has a 8.8 kWh battery pack that is much larger than the 0.75 kWh pack used in the regular Prius. Unlike the traditional Prius, the plug-in version is capable of using both motor–generators as traction motors while in all-electric mode. Compared to the first-generation Toyota Prius Plug-in, the improved technology in the second-generation allows the vehicle to achieve a maximum of from the electric motor system in EV mode. Those improvements allow the vehicle to run entirely on electricity while in charge-depleting (EV) in nearly all situations, raise the maximum all-electric speed from to , and offer acceleration nearly as strong as blended mode to address the concern that the previous-generation car that wouldn't have enough torque for safety if the gasoline engine were entirely kept out of the power flow.

Battery and range

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid - Paris Motor Show 2016 04

The second-generation plug-in has an

that delivers an EPA-rated

of . The all-electric range is more than double that of the first-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid, but lags behind the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in, Hyundai Sonata PHEV and the

. On one full tank of gasoline and a full electric charge, the total range of the vehicle is . The forced-air-cooled battery pack made by

is located under the back seat and the rear cargo floor. To keep up with the demands of charging the larger pack, the onboard charger was upgraded to 3.3 kW, up from 2.2 kW in the Prius Plug-in. The lithium-ion battery pack can be charged in 5.5 hours at 120 volts, or 2.2 hours at 240 volts. In Japan, the Prius PHV offers an optional solar roof charging system that adds up to of range per day.

Fuel economy

The Prius Prime has an

EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

fuel economy rating of in

(EV mode), the highest mpg-e rating of any vehicle with an internal combustion engine, making the Prime the most energy-efficient plug-in hybrid when operating in EV mode. Compared to all-electric cars, only the

Hyundai Ioniq Electric The Hyundai Ioniq is a compact five-door liftback manufactured and marketed by Hyundai. The nameplate ''Ioniq'' is a portmanteau of '' ion'' and ''unique''. It is marketed as the first automobile to be offered without a standard internal combus ...

and Tesla Model 3 Standard Range have a higher energy efficiency. ''The 2014–16 BMW i3 BEV was the most efficient EPA-certified vehicles considering all fuels and of all years until November 2016, when it was surpassed by the 2017

. , the 2016 Toyota Prius Eco hybrid car is most efficient EPA-certified vehicle with a gasoline engine without plug-in capability.'' Toyota was also able to make the fuel economy in hybrid mode nearly equal to the regular fourth-generation Prius liftback, despite the extra weight of the much larger battery pack. When operating in hybrid mode, the Prius Prime has an EPA-rated combined fuel economy of , in city driving, and in highway. Only the Prius Eco has a higher EPA-rated fuel economy rating in hybrid mode. The high fuel economy is enabled by several weight-saving design changes compared to the regular Prius: the hood is made from aluminum and the rear hatch is made from

carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

. Additionally, the rear hatch uses a "dual-wave" curved glass design to help cut drag.

GR Sport trim level

In Japan, a performance oriented

GR Sport Toyota Gazoo Racing (or Toyota GR/TGR) is a motorsport/performance brand of the Japanese automaker Toyota. Many divisions in various racing disciplines use the branding, including Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, Toyota's World Rally Championship te ...

trim level of the Prius PHV was released on 19 September 2017 with a starting price of (around at 2021 exchange rates). The GR Sport Package includes suspension tuning, additional bracing, a digital tachometer, a different shift knob, aluminium pedals, and a small diameter steering wheel. On the exterior, the Prius PHV GR Sport received a custom front bumper with much larger LED accents and a black grille and a custom rear bumper with extra lights and an F1-style brake light. Additionally, the Prius PHV GR Sport gained side skirts and bigger wheels. The Prius PHV GR Sport retains the plug-in hybrid powertrain of the stock Prius PHV, with no modifications.

Mid-generation refresh

In 2019, Toyota released a mid-generation refresh for the 2020 model year. The trim levels were renamed from Plus, Premium, and Advanced, to LE, XLE, and Limited, respectively, which puts the trim level structure in line with the rest of Toyota's lineup. Across all trims,

Sirius XM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...

satellite radio and Apple

CarPlay CarPlay is an Apple standard which enables a car radio or head unit to be a display and a controller for an iOS device. It is available on all iPhone models beginning with iPhone 5 running iOS 7.1 or later. According to Apple's website, all m ...

were added as standard features. In the front of the car, the sun visors added extenders and the placement of the seat heater switches was made more prominent for better usability. The gloss white plastic found in the center console and steering wheel was replaced with gloss black for all trim levels. In the rear cabin, the middle console was replaced by a seat, allowing 5 passengers to sit in the vehicle, and two USB charging ports were added.

Third generation (XW60; 2023)

The third-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid was unveiled on 16 November 2022 for the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show. This model is powered by a more powerful 2.0-liter '' M20A-FXS'' four-cylinder engine which is combined with the electric motor to generate a combined output of , an 82% increase over the previous generation and 13% more than the non-plug-in model, and offering a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.6 seconds, according to Toyota. Because of this performance increase, in the North American market, Toyota will market the Prius Prime with its sport-oriented trim levels: SE, XSE, and XSE Premium. Unlike the second generation, but similar to the first generation, there is little external visual differentiation between the traditional Prius and the plug-in version. Now under the back seats, the 13.6 kWh

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also sees ...

battery pack has a more than 50% greater capacity compared to the previous generation, enabling a manufacturer estimated of electric driving range. The vehicle is equipped Toyota's updated audio multimedia system that debuted on the XK70 series Tundra and the

Toyota Safety Sense A collision avoidance system (CAS), also known as a pre-crash system, forward collision warning system, or collision mitigation system, is an advanced driver-assistance system designed to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision. In its ...

(TSS) 3.0 suite of advanced driver-assistance systems. It is the first model to offer the TSS 3.0 system's Traffic Jam Assist function that allows the driver to go hands-free, with the on-board computers handling acceleration, braking, and steering under . The third-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid will also offer optional solar panels under its glass roof that charge the battery while the vehicle is parked and provide supplemental power for accessory functions like air conditioning while it is being driven.

Markets

Japan

In Japan, grade levels offered for the are the G and Z, the ''M20A-FXS'' engine is standard on all trims.

North America

The North American market Prius Prime is available in three grade levels: SE, XSE, and XSE Premium. All grades are powered with the ''M20A-FXS'' engine; unlike the regular Prius, the Prius Prime only comes with FWD as standard on all trims.

Europe

For the European market, the Prius Plug-in will be the only version available.

Markets and sales

Toyota's initial global sales goal was to sell more than 60,000 Prius PHV a year, with Japan as the main market and aiming for 40,000 units, two-thirds of the carmaker's global sales goal. During its first year in the market, a total of 27,279 Prius PHVs were sold worldwide, ''Prius Plug-in Hybrid sales by year between 2012 and September 2014.'' allowing the Prius PHV to rank as the second most sold

for 2012. Sales in 2012 were led by the United States with 12,750 units delivered, ''See the section: December 2012 Plug-in Electric Car Sales Numbers'' followed by Japan with 10,970 units. In 2012, the Prius PHV was the best selling

in Sweden (499 units) and the top selling

in the UK (470 units), France (413 units), and Norway (171 units). The top selling European market was the Netherlands, with 1,184 units sold during 2012. Accounting for cumulative sales since its inception, the Prius PHV ranked as the world's third best selling PEV by December 2014. By May 2015, the Prius plug-in fell to fourth place after the

. and by November 2015 it was also surpassed in the global ranking by the

Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors. It was originally known as the when it was introduced in Japan in 2001. The original Airtrek name was chosen to "describe the vehicle's ability to transpo ...

, as the Prius sales declined after the end of its production in June 2015. ''The Prius PHV ended production in June 2015, and its 75,000 cumulative global sales are only exceeded as of December by the Mitsubishi Outlander (85,000), Tesla Model S (100,000), Chevy Volt (about 104,000), and Nissan Leaf (200,000).'' , global first-generation Prius PHVs sales totaled 75,400 units since 2012, with the North American market accounting for 56.6% of all sales. The United States led sales with 42,345 units delivered through September 2016, when dealerships run out of stock. By the end of 2016, the Prius plug-in ranked as the world's all-time third top selling plug-in hybrid after the Volt/Ampera family of vehicles, and the

. ''See detailed 2016 sales and cumulative global sales in the two graphs.'' The second-generation Prius Prime was released to retail customers in the U.S. in November 2016, and in Japan in February 2017. Toyota expected to sell up to 60,000 units globally a year, with Japan accounting for more than half of those sales. Global cumulative sales of both Prius plug-in generations totaled 128,900 units at the end of 2017. Sales were led by North America with 66,800 units delivered, followed by Japan with 48,800 units sold, and the European market with cumulative sales of 13,100 units. About 200 units were sold in the rest of the world. The European market is led by the Netherlands with 4,134 units registered by the end of November 2015, followed by the UK with 1,580 units registered at the end of December 2015, and Sweden with 1,227 registrations up until April 2016. The U.S. continued as the top selling country market with 65,703 units delivered by the end of 2017. , cumulative sales of both Prius PHV generations totaled 209,000 units worldwide.

Canada

The Toyota Prius Plug-in was released in the Canadian market in September 2012 at a starting price of . During its first month in the market sold 21 units. The Prius Plug-in is eligible in several provinces for purchase rebates. According to its battery size, the Prius PHV was eligible in

for a rebate starting on 1 December 2011. In

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

the plug-in was eligible for a rebate beginning on 1 January 2012, and a rebate in

under its Electric Vehicle Incentive Program. A total of 63 units were sold during 2012, and 212 in 2013. Cumulative sales totaled 1,102 units through December 2017. In May 2017, Toyota Canada announced availability of the second-generation Prius Prime for the Canadian market. Initially available in both a standard and a Technology package, the model was exclusively available in Quebec (qualifying for a provincial rebate) in recognition of a 60 percent increase in plug-in vehicle sales in the province during 2016. After selling more than 700 Prius Primes in Quebec, in January 2018 Toyota Canada announced a nationwide release for the Prius Prime and an additional Upgrade trim between the standard and Technology levels. It is eligible for a rebate from the British Columbia government; a rebate from the Ontario government was available until the cancellation of the province's cap-and-trade program in July 2018.

France

Deliveries of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid began in France in September 2012. Pricing started at (~ ) including

VAT A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the en ...

and before any applicable government incentives. Excluding the environmental bonus, the plug in version is (~ ) more expensive than the conventional hybrid model. The Prius PHV was the top selling plug-in hybrid in France for 2012 with 413 units registered, more than doubling Ampera sales (190). Sales were down to 393 units in 2013, and fell to 38 units in 2014. , registrations totaled 912 units since 2012. Retail deliveries of the second-generation Prius PHV are scheduled to begin in June 2017. The plug-in hybrid will be available only in one trim with pricing starting at (~ ). Due to its emissions (22 g/km), the Prius PHV is not eligible to the government's (~ ) ecological bonus.

Japan

Toyota began taking orders on late November 2011 and the Prius PHV was released on 30 January 2012. The price of the plug-in, including consumption tax, starts at () for the entry-level S trim and goes up to () for the G trim with leather option. Toyota's sales target for the Japanese market was set between 35,000 and 40,000 units per year. A total of 15,400 units had been sold between 2012 and December 2013. An additional 5,187 units were sold in 2014. Cumulative sales totaled about 22,100 first-generation models through January 2017. In October 2013 Toyota announced upgrades and reduced pricing for the 2014 Prius PHV in the Japanese market. The model will be offered in a new two-tone paint scheme, newly designed aluminium alloy wheels, LED illumination for the "PHV" and "Hybrid Synergy Drive" badges. Interior changes include a padded compartment box in the center of the dashboard for keeping the smartphone, and some dark wood grain inserts in the center console and the armrests. In addition, Toyota explained that the 2014 Prius Plug-In Hybrid will be manufactured using an improved spot-welding process that results in increased structural rigidity, which will reduce noise and vibration, and improve ride quality and steering feel. The Japanese-market 2014 Prius PHV will be offered in four trim levels: L, S, G and G Leather Package. The base price was reduced to (), and the advanced model will start at (). The second-generation Prius PHV was released in Japan on 15 February 2017. Toyota expected to sell more than 30,000 units a year in Japan. ''Around 75,000 first generation Prius plug-ins have been sold since its launch in 2012.'' Sales in 2017 totaled about 26,700 units. , cumulative sales of both Prius plug-in generations totaled 48,800 units sold.

Netherlands

Deliveries began in August 2012. The Prius PHV pricing starts at (~ ) and lease prices start at (~ ) per month. The price includes installation of a charging station at home, and owners also benefit from several tax exemptions and enjoy free parking due to car's low emissions. A total of 1,184 units were sold during 2012, making the Prius PHV the second best selling plug-in electric vehicle in the country after the

Opel Ampera Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...

(2,693 units), and also making the Netherlands the top selling European market for the Prius PHV during 2012. Sales totaled 2,707 units during 2013, ''See under the heading "31-12-2013" for total registrations figures at the end of December 2013.'' ranking third in the Dutch plug-in electric car segment after the

(8,038) and the

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid The Volvo V60 is a compact wagon produced by Volvo Cars related to the S60. The vehicle was first released in autumn 2010, facelifted in 2014, and is in its second generation since 2018. The second generation V60 was launched in 2018 based on t ...

(6,238). Prius PHV registrations totaled 4,134 units at the end of November 2015.

Sweden

The Prius PHEV was the top selling plug-in electric car in the country during 2012, with 499 units sold. An additional 376 units were sold in 2013, and ranked as the second most sold PEV that year. A total of 1,085 Prius PHEVs had been registered in Sweden through December 2014, ranking as the third top selling plug-in electric vehicle in the country after the

(2,385) and the

(1,388). A total of 132 units were registered in 2015, and cumulative registrations totaled 1,217 units through December 2015.

United Kingdom

The Prius Plug-in pricing starts at (~ ) before taking into account the government's Plug-in Car Grant. After the subsidy is applied, the Prius Plug-in ends up on par with the

Nissan Leaf The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...

electric car. Deliveries to fleet customers began in August 2012. , a total of 470 units were sold since its introduction to the market in July 2012, allowing the Prius PHV to surpass the

Vauxhall Ampera Ampera may refer to: Indonesia Ampera is generally an abbreviation for ''Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat'' andate of People's Suffering a now-rarely used colloquial name for the preamble of the Constitution of Indonesia. * Ampera Bridge, a bridge in ...

and ranking as the top selling

in the country. In 2013 the Prius PHV ranked again as the top selling plug-in hybrid with 509 units sold, up 8.5% from 2012. Cumulative sales through December 2013 reached 979 units. ''509 Prius PHVs were sold 2013''. , the Prius plug-in ranked second after the Nissan Leaf, then the British market leader, but by December 2014 it fell to fifth place among plug-in electric cars, and second place among plug-in hybrids after the

. ''A total of 1,324 Prius PHVs were registered in the UK through December 2014.'' A total of 1,580 Prius PHVs were registered in the UK by the end of December 2015. ''Figures correspond to the number of vehicles registered at the end of the corresponding quarter.'' Retail deliveries of the second-generation Prius PHV are scheduled to begin in March 2017. The plug-in hybrid will be available in two trims, Business Edition Plus and Excel, with pricing starting at (~ ) for the Business Edition, and (~ ), both, before any government's incentives. The Prius PHV is eligible for a (~ ) purchase grant.

United States

The production Prius Plug-in Hybrid was introduced in the U.S. on 16 September 2011, at the Green Drive Expo in

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council.

. For the 2012 and 2013 model year the sales price in the U.S. started at for the base model and for the advanced trim before any applicable government incentives. All trims had a delivery fee. In October 2013 Toyota announced a price reduction for the 2014

Prius Plug-in, cutting off the base price, and for the advanced version, in order to boost flagging sales. There were no changes in the vehicle content as compared to the 2013 model, and the price reduction took effect in November 2013, when deliveries of the new model year began. The 2017 Prius Prime starts at for the base model and for the advanced trim before any applicable federal government incentives and local rebates. All trims have a mandatory delivery fee. Prius Plug-in 04 2015 SFO 2516

Due to its battery size, the first-generation Prius Plug-in qualified for a federal tax credit of , and also met eligibility for additional incentives at the state and local level, such as

's rebate. The Prius Plug-in also qualified for California's Enhanced Advanced Technology-Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle (EAT-PZEV) status, which allowed plug-in owners to have free access to use

carpool lane A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...

s even when traveling solo. The Prius Prime is eligible for federal tax credit of due to its larger 8.8 kWh battery. Also meets eligibility for additional incentives at the state and local level. The Prime also qualifies for California's clean air green sticker for free access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes. On 22 April 2011 Toyota introduced its priority registration website for customers interested in ordering the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, even though the purchase price had not been announced at that time. Registration guaranteed first access to Toyota's Online Order System, which began sales in October 2011, but limited to the 14 launch states. Toyota reported that during its first month since the process began, more than 17,000 potential buyers signed up through its reservation website, by mid July 2011, 29,000 potential buyers had registered, and deposits were taken by dealers beginning in November 2011. The plug-in hybrid is available in two trims and five colors. Toyota Prius Prime WAS 2017 1584

Production began in January 2012, and retail deliveries began in late February 2012. Initial availability was limited, and, , the Prius PHV was offered only in 15 states:

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, New York,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. According to Toyota these are the states where nearly 60% of all Prius models are currently sold in the country. The Prius Plug-in was originally advertised to become available in all remaining states in 2013; however, nationwide availability never materialized and the car was only sold in the original 15 states until its discontinuation in 2015. Toyota announced it expects to sell in the U.S. market around 15,000 units a year initially. Toyota delivered seven plug-ins in February, sold 891 units in March 2012, its first full month on the market, and in April 2012 the Prius PHV was the top selling

for that month. , cumulative sales of first-generation Prius PHV totaled 42,345 units since 2012, ranking as the second top selling

car in the U.S. after the

. Only 52 units were sold during the first three-quarters of 2016, as Toyota dealerships run out of stock in October due to the earlier end of production. ''During the first nine months of 2016 Prius PHV sales totaled 52 units. None were sold in October 2016 as dealerships run out of stock of the first generation model'' Retail deliveries of the second-generation Prius Prime began in November 2016. A total of 781 units were sold during its first month in the American market, setting a new record monthly sales volume debut for any plug-in electric car released in the U.S. Combined sales of both Prius plug-in generations totaled with 65,703 units sold since inception through December 2017. ''See Prius PHV cumulative sales figure in graphs: "Top-12 selling plug-in electrified cars in the United States"''

Recognition

The Toyota Prius Plug-in was a finalist for the 2010 Green Car Vision Award. The Prius Plug-in won the 2012 Urban Green Vehicle of the Year Award. Shared with the

Toyota Prius v The Toyota Prius ''v'' (for versatile), also named Prius α (pronounced as Alpha) in Japan, and Prius+ in Europe and Singapore, is a hybrid gasoline-electric automobile produced by Toyota introduced in Japan in May 2011, in the U.S. in October 2 ...

, the Prius plug-in was awarded Green Car Report's Best Car to Buy 2012.

References

External links

* (US) {{Modern North American Toyota vehicles Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid vehicles Cars introduced in 2012

Prius Plug-in Hybrid The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 t ...

Compact cars Hatchbacks

Concept and demonstration models

Demonstration programs by country

Field test results

First generation (XW30; 2012)

Drivetrain

Battery and range

Fuel economy

Tailpipe emissions

Safety

Other features

Second generation (XW50; 2016)

Specifications

Drivetrain

Battery and range

Fuel economy

GR Sport trim level

Mid-generation refresh

Third generation (XW60; 2023)

Markets

Japan

North America

Europe

Markets and sales

Canada

France

Japan

Netherlands

Sweden

United Kingdom

United States

Recognition

See also

References

External links