All About Japan Autos

Hybrids Electrics Hydrogen Cars

The Toyota Prius is an engineering marvel for its world-beating fuel economy, but driving enthusiasts don’t exactly line up to buy them as track toys. Performance-wise, the Prius has always been just adequate. It was considered a major accomplishment when, with the second generation Prius, Toyota made the car feel almost like a normal car to drivers. Rumors now say, however, that the 2010 Toyota Prius may well have more spunk.

Autoblog Green reports, “Toyota has had a few years now to tweak its Hybrid Synergy Drive and has created both performance hybrids and super-efficient hybrids from the technology. According to Toyota managing director Miguel Fonseca, the next Prius will emit less than 100 g/km of CO2 while offering sportier performance.”

Fonseca tells AutoMotoPortal, “We could have gone lower [on emissions], but instead we have chosen to give the Prius better performance.”

Toyota is also showing off a plug-in version of the Prius at the Paris Motor Show, according to CNET. And while “most electric cars take 4 to 8 hours of charging, this plug-in Prius gets a full recharge in an hour and a half. The downside? Its electric-only range is just a little over six miles. Toyota claims that in Europe, most car trips are less than six miles, so that plug-in Prius drivers will infrequently have to buy gas. Toyota intends to market a plug-in hybrid in 2010, and is currently testing different configurations in the U.S. and Europe.”

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