This week, the new and ultra-efficient Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid is launching to the UK’s reviewers, road testers and motoring writers.
We’ll be bringing you more for the event this week, and we’ll report back on the reviews as they come in so you can find out all about the car from the independent experts.
To coincide with the launch, we asked for your questions about the car, and we can now bring you the answers.
Read on for all you need to know about the Prius Plug-in – and don’t forget to leave us a comment below if your question hasn’t been answered yet.
How does the Prius Plug-in work?
The Prius Plug-in is what we term a PHEV, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. It uses a development of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system that combines a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with a 1.8-litre petrol engine to deliver smooth, refined and ultra-efficient driving and incredible economy.
The lithium-ion battery means it can drive approximately 15.5 miles purely on electric power, meaning low running costs and zero emissions.
What is the range of the Prius Plug-in?
The electric-only range of the Prius Plug-in is approximately 15.5 miles, enabling typical commuter journeys to be accomplished with zero tailpipe emissions. Thanks to the hybrid powertrain’s petrol engine, Prius Plug-in is equally able to accomplish long distance trips.
Once the car has reached the limit of its EV driving range, it automatically operates in full hybrid mode, with the petrol engine coming into play. This means there is none of the concern about whether the car can reach its destination without running out of power – the ‘range anxiety’ that is typically associated with full electric vehicles.
How much does the Toyota Prius Plug-in cost?
Prices for the Toyota Prius Plug-in start at £32,895 on the road, but this falls to £27,895 with the benefit of the £5,000 Government grant available on new plug-in vehicle purchases, provided through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).
What is the CO2 emissions figure of the Prius Plug-in?
The Prius Plug-in achieves a new low benchmark in its class with official CO2 emissions of 49g/km, way below the 100g/km threshold for UK road tax (VED).
What are the fuel consumption figures of the Prius Plug-in?
Official combined mpg figures are 78.5mpg in HV (hybrid vehicle) mode. When you drive solely in EV (electric vehicle) mode, the Prius Plug-in uses no fuel. However, official figures been calculated for EV mode using a standard testing cycle which takes the average from one run with a fully charged battery and a second run with a depleted battery.
Do I need to charge the Prius Plug-in?
Not necessarily. If the Prius Plug-in’s battery is not charged, it simply performs as a ‘standard’ Toyota hybrid vehicle, using the engine and/or the electric motor depending on the driving conditions and battery state of charge.
However, charging the battery does ensure the highest levels of efficiency and zero-emissions driving, particularly in stop-start or low-speed conditions, so we recommend regular charging.
What happens when the EV battery on Prius Plug-in runs out of charge?
The car automaticlaly switches to HV (hybrid vehicle) mode and runs as a standard Toyota Hybrid, just like the normal Prius.
[youtube width=”580″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVe_-bps7hw[/youtube]What do I need to charge the Toyota Prius Plug-in?
The Prius Plug-in comes with a dedicated charging cable, which fits under the boot floor. This plugs into a standard domestic socket, but we recommend an isolated charge point is installed to protect against overloading your home’s system. Toyota’s recommended supplier of electric car charging points in British Gas, who will provide a free site survey to our customers. British Gas says it can supply a charging point for as little as £375 – find out more on the Toyota website. Buyers are not obliged to use British Gas.
How long does it take to fully recharge the Prius Plug-in?
Around 1.5 hours using a standard 240V electrical supply.
How long is the EV battery warranty?
The EV battery has a warranty of eight years. The Prius Plug-in benefits from the standard five-year Toyota Warranty.
What is the battery life of the Prius Plug-in?
The lithium-ion battery is designed to last the life of the vehicle.
How much heavier is the battery pack from the regular Prius?
The Lithium-ion battery in the Prius Plug-in weighs 80kg, the Nickel-Metal Hydride battery of the Prius weighs 42kg.
Does the EV battery take away space from the passenger compartment or luggage capacity?
Luggage capacity above the floor is only 2 litres smaller in the Prius Plug-in than in Prius, at 443 litres (compared with 446 litres for Prius). Below the floor, space is smaller – 40.5 litres vs. 48 litres. Total load volume increases to 1,120 litres when the rear seats are folded.
These figures were measured by the VDA method.
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Prius Plug-in?
45 litres.
What is the 0-62mph time of the Toyota Prius Plug-in?
The 0-62mph time is 11.4 seconds. Top speed is 112mph.
How does the Prius Plug-in compare with the Prius in terms of performance?
The top speeds of the two cars are the same, at 112mph. The Prius has a 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds, one second quicker than the Prius Plug-in.
Does the Prius Plug-in have a spare wheel?
The Prius Plug-in comes with a tyre repair kit to save weight.
Is DAB digital radio available on the Prius Plug-in?
DAB digital radio is available as a dealer-fit option.
Does the Prius Plug-in have Adaptive Cruise Control?
The Prius Plug-in has cruise control as standard. Adaptive Cruise Control is not available.
Can I pre-heat the interior of the Prius Plug-in before using it?
Pre-heating is not available on Prius Plug-in. This is because the car’s air conditioning is coordinated with the standard front seat heaters. This enables the system to reach a comfortable temperature for the driver and passenger more quickly and effectively, further improving efficiency.
When does the Prius Plug-in go on sale?
The Toyota Prius Plug-in is arriving in UK showrooms now (July 2012).
How can I book a test drive?
You can book a test drive in the Toyota Prius Plug-in on the Toyota UK website.
How can I read a brochure for the Toyota Prius Plug-in?
You can read the online eBrochure or order a paper brochure on the Toyota website, or find out more about the car here.
Hi all,
I should, all being well, be taking delivery of a nice shiny PIP soon and I have been researching the actual plug-in plug thingy!
According to the British Gas info there is a charge of £375 or more if you want the higher spec version, yet I noticed that a company called Chargemaster could potentially fit one for free on my house (they monitor the usage).
Has anyone had experience of the British Gas version and/or the Chargemaster version please?
You also get free access to the Polar charging network.
Too good to be true?
Looks like it is government funded and they claim the costs back.
Hi Andy, dont be sucked in to paying Brit Gas prices. I got a local electrician to install me a 13amp weatherproof socket on my outside Garage wall which is wired into our Consumer Box so it has a cut out. It only cost £60 including the weatherproof socket and it works fine. We live in Warrington and there are no local charging points installed so we are dependant on our own home and friends and family etc. The ChargeMaster thing might be fine if you are able to plug in in Cities that are installing them like London etc but we are in the backwoods as yet.
Hi and thanks for the reply, interesting to read.
Do you find 13AMP slow to charge? I ask as the recommendation is for a 16AMP socket.
The Chargemaster thing is actually a completely free dedicated charge point on your house and also free access to any of the Polar network of charge points around the country. The box has a SIM card built into it that sends data via 3G to the installation company (this is FOC for the user) who monitor how much electricity you use via the socket. The only commitments seems to be that you keep it for 3 years and only use it to charge an electric vehicle – it even says you do not need to own an electric vehicle as they will install one and you can then offer it to people in your area that would like access to a socket. I like the idea of a dedicated socket and one that can charge the PIP within 90 minutes.
Would be very interested in your and others experience of how/when etc they charge there PIP.
Andy.
Hi Andy, our 13amp socket at home only takes 1.5 hours to fully charge from empty.
Why is there no “PWR” button on the Plug-in, is it in “PWR” mode all the time ?
Hello Keith,
Many thanks for your comment.
The driving modes on the Prius Plug-in are ECO / HV-EV / EV City, as well as a ‘normal’ driving mode. The Plug-in has different driving modes in comparison to the Prius, which is where you’ll see the PWR button. The modes available in the Plug-in are designed to utilise both the electric-only power along with the regular hybrid drivetrain, hence differing from the Prius.
We do hope this helps to explain the difference in modes, many thanks.
Does anyone know how to stop the car from automatically playing music from a bluetooth device please? I have a Nokia 820 that pairs correctly and have unticked the music option in the set up in the car, yet everytime I get back into the car it decides to reconnect and play music, this happens after approx 5 minutes of driving and regardless of what you are listening to at the time. It is pretty annoying!
I won’t be plugging in for 6 month’s. Will this cause any damage to the batteries?
Hello Hal,
This won’t have a detrimental effect on the battery of your Prius Plug In. Please just continue to drive your Plug In as normal.
Many thanks.
Anyone know please? Is it down to the phone (Nokia 820 Windows 8 Phone) or does it happen to anyone else? Get in car, listen to radio, auto switches to bluetooth music!
Andy says:
June 4, 2013 at 11:41
Does anyone know how to stop the car from automatically playing music from a bluetooth device please? I have a Nokia 820 that pairs correctly and have unticked the music option in the set up in the car, yet everytime I get back into the car it decides to reconnect and play music, this happens after approx 2 minutes of driving and regardless of what you are listening to at the time. It is pretty annoying!
Hello Andy,
This may be helped with a software update. Are you able to let us know the software version that is installed? The version number is shown in the settings under ‘system information’ (format as follows: 1.7.9H).
Many thanks and kind regards.
Sorry Andy, we are coming upto 12 months in ours and rarely use the blue tooth. It seems odd that Toyota have not responded to this as usually they are pretty good at responding. I would put the problem directly to your Dealership if I were you assuming you have not already done so and give them a demo so they can experience first hand.
Regards Anne
Sorry for the delay, I was out this weekend enjoying the car.
Thanks for the replies;
Oliwer Kmiecik says:
The version number is shown in the settings under ‘system information’ (format as follows: 1.7.9H).
I have looked at the setting screen and my software appears to be 2.7.4H, hope that helps with this issue I am having.
Currently when I get in the car it switches to my last listened device (normally radio) then it auto switches to USB after 15-20 seconds or so, then another 30 later or so later it switches to BT music. Even if I switch to radio after the USB kicks in it will switch to BT and I have to change back again, very odd.
Hi Andy,
We’ve had an update from our technical team who’ve informed us that there is currently a problem with this version, 2.7.4. The issue you’re having is something TME (Toyota Motor Europe) are aware of and are working to resolve. Unfortunately there isn’t currently a fix for this for which we apologise. We hope to have this sorted as soon as possible.
Many thanks, Andy, for your understanding.