2012 Prius Plug-In official photos released

Or putting the 'lectric in the petrol port

 

You need to pull the gas door latch near the driver seat to open it, so it is unlikely. I wonder how the electric port door will open.

 

^^ I was joking.

But you never know what someone might do. Material for a Wiley Coyote cartoon

 

I can imagine the look on the gas attendant's face staring at the electric plug looking confused with a gas nozzle in one hand.

 

^^ that takes looking, AND seeing

 

I don't know how EV and EV city mode works, but from my understanding of press release EV mode will fire ICE earlier depending on the power demand from the throttle than EV City.

If I am not wrong, electric motor also has it's efficiency curve but unlike ICE it's most efficient in low power band. Sure it's hard to say that sometimes it's better to run gas than draw batteries, especially if electricity is cheap, but this is the best compromise if you know you will be traveling more than 14 miles.

 

"Hey lady, somebody jammed an electric plug in your filler neck".

 

I think you are correct sir.
In EV mode the prius acts like an electric car on a single speed transmission. As rpms increase torque decreases, and after a certain speed power to the wheels will also decrease. This doesn't necessarily make the drive inefficient, but will make the car less responsive and the battery run down quicker (since consumption / mile goes us as speed increases ).

We won't know until some one is able to review the car, but If I would have to guess to city EV would give you a bigger time delay for acceleration at higher speeds than EV, but allow you to stay in EV mode without staring at the indicators. Normal EV mode may kick on the motor anticipating you will want to continue to accelerate. This is definitely a useful feature.

 

Take note on the Prius that the air intake above the bumper has been significantly reduced (look at my profile/avatar photo to the left), and the enlarged air intake on the bottom is likely to compensate for this. The total intake surface area may be unchanged from "than they used to." (the iQ on the other thread also has this, as well as numerous other Toyota cars)

My best guess is that reducing the amount of air intake on the top (where the hood meets the front end) increases aerodynamics and airflow over the top of the hood).

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I think grill opening size is an optical illusion. The actual size should be the same.

 

Cool. Hope they're differentiated enough.

As a side note: on my former 02 Nissan Maxima, I liked how they designed the gas cap and trunk release controls. Even though they were next to each other, the buttons/levers were of different size and one was push while the other was pull.

 

The new grille looks like it is trying to swallow up more road.

 

It sure make the car look wider.

 

I like it much better. Looks mean.

 

Yea ... munchin' all the Volts.




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Plugin to be priced at €37.000 in Germany.
Pressconference on the IAA in Frankfurt Germany.

Video of the highlights:
Video of all Toyota Highlights @ 2011 Frankfurt MS - YouTube

Plugin? I want one!

 

yikes, that equals $51,000 as of today.

 

Do we know the equipment level and what's the equivalent cordless Prius price there?