Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Provides New Fuel Efficiency Methods
The greatly anticipated Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, also called the PHEV, will have the advantage of a number of new hybrids designed to improve efficiency. These include a driver-controlled electric only mode which will allow the driver to preserve the electric portion of power rather htan using it upfront. Another is the ability to use regenerative braking energy to the vehicle's electric-behicle battery rather than the regular hybrid system battery.
The idea behind the first feature is to allow you to preserve electric energy for when it is most efficient, like in a city setting, rather than burning it on a highway cruise that is the first length of your drive. That would allow the vhicle to run in "electric" mode while in stop-and-go traffic when a traditional gasoline vehicle is at its worst performance. Other competitors, like the Chevy Volt, have also added this functionality.
While these features have been well received, many consumers are anciously awaiting the production version of the vehicle, and, in particular, the price tag that the new PHEV will come with. Unfortunately, all that is left to do there is play the waiting game.