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.
Hello David,
Thank you for your post. We are very sorry to hear of the problems you have encountered. Please see the link attached to our customer relations team who will be able to help you further with this matter. https://mag.toyota.co.uk/how-to-contact-toyota-uk. Many thanks.
I would like to know; How long it takes for the Prius’s electric battery to recharge?
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for getting in touch. ECU constantly monitors the state of charge within the vehicle and therefore never lets the car run out of charge. A battery should never be below minimum recommended and above maximum. Our technical department have advised that there is no definitive answer to this and when charging it will make sure there are enough levels for the electric option to work rather than the engine.
I have had the plugin prius for nearly five years and the charger cable is now faulty – a replacement costs £650 – this is excessive and the cable should have lasted at least ten years
Hi Chris,
We’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy. We’d have to recommend contacting customer relations if you want to take this further. You can contact Toyota customer relations here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us. Many thanks!
Can a 2013 Prius be converted into a Plug-in Prius after market, by adding an official plug and swapping the battery for lithium ion? I have been looking for this for a while, and find it really strange that there are 3 entire companies built around providing this functionality after market, but I can’t find any reference to Toyota offering it. I’d really prefer an official conversion if at all possible.
Alternatively, if no official conversion is possible, is the physical battery size for both the same and swapping? If, for example, I got an unofficial plug without buying an unofficial battery, can I swap for an official battery that’s lithium ion and expect it to work? I think all options should be after market accessible.
Hi there,
Thanks for getting in contact. Unfortunately, there is no official Toyota solution. With that, we wouldn’t be able to comment on 3rd party solutions and therefore wouldn’t recommend changing the Prius from it’s original spec.
Hello,When I buy my Toyota Prius plug in I just want to plug it into an ordinary 3 pin socket in the garage without paying anyone for some fancy nonsense that is not needed,can I do that.
Many thanks
Hi David,
Thanks for getting in touch with us. Yes, the car does come with an ordinary 3 pin plug cable for charging, so a regular wall socket can be used. You would also be eligible for an OLEV grant, if this is the 1st registration of the car to install a home charge unit for free, as long as there property meets the terms and conditions, this is a faster more efficient way to charge the car. Hope this helps.
I’m thinking of buying a secondhand 2013 Prius Plug-in. Can you confirm that the parts to fit a tow bar mounted bike rack are still available? Also whether I can fit roof bars and a roof box for occasional holiday trips where I need more luggage space.
I have the Yakima Whispbar and the Yakima front loader on my 2014 Prius Plug in – roof rack. Am looking at different tow bar racks as well. When I bought my used Plug-in it was installed. Wish I could upload a pic
Hi Dee, thanks for your comment. I’ve since found that Curt – an american company – produce a tow hitch for the plug-in prius, which you can buy on ebay. Not sure if it’s legal in UK though.
Hi Duncan,
Thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately, there are no towing hitches available on this model.
With regards to a roof rack, you would need to purchase product PZ403-G0612-GA which can be used with a bike holder (PZ4AP-PR591-B0) (one bike).
We have a Thule Pacific 200 luggage box – Silver Grey – Size : 175x82x45 cm, Load capacity : 50 kg (PW308-00000)
Hope this helps.
Elsewhere on this page in 2014 you told someone there is a “Prius specific bracket that performs the same function as the tow bar, (but only as far as carrying bikes is concerned as Prius Plug-in cannot tow).”
Is this still available?
Hi Duncan,
The non-towing bracket is no longer available for this vehicle generation.
Thanks.
I have a 2016 Prius, I used to get 12.4 miles on a full overnight charge, this has now dropped to 10.6, I thought it might be due to the cold weather but it is exactly 10.6 whatever the weather now. Can I increase the full charge back to 12+ miles, if so how.
Hi Robert,
Thanks for getting in touch. The EV range shown in the Multi-information Display of a Prius Plug-in features a learning function that takes into account an adjustment based on electric mileage achieved from previous EV journeys. The system then utilizes this information and remaining battery charge to calculate the EV driving range. Therefore, the EV driving range may increase or decrease depending on how you operate the vehicle eg. driving patterns, driving style, driving conditions etc.
Please also note that the system anticipates an increase in energy consumption when the A/C is turned ON (both heating and cooling), and decreases the EV driving range by 10%.
Initial vehicle setting, when the car comes out of the factory, shows an EV Range of 12.5 – 14.5 miles so that the figures shown in the display become as close as possible to the actual driving situation. The system then analyses the driving pattern results, adjusts the driving range accordingly. Therefore, the driving range shown may increase or decrease depending on the previous driving patterns, driving style, driving conditions and so on.
Hope this helps.