Toyota Prius Plug-in: the little electric hybrid that could (+video)

The Toyota Prius Plug-in doesn't have quite the sales numbers as the headline-grabbing Chevy Volt. But Toyota's entry into the electric hybrid market with the Prius Plug-in has been a quiet initial success for the automaker.

By Schuyler Velasco, Correspondent / October 9, 2012

The Chevy Volt, General Motors’ foray into the electric hybrid market, has been the subject of heated debate in recent weeks, from its robust sales figures and customer satisfaction to quibbles over profit loss and the feasibility of the electric car market in general.

But while the Volt grabbed the headlines, Toyota quietly nursed along its own electric hybrid, the Prius Plug-in, to pleasing, if modest, results.

Since its launch last year, the Prius Plug-in has sold 7, 734, units in the United States, according to data from Automakers and Automotive  News. That’s considerably less than the Volt, which moved 16,348 units this year. But it’s more than the Nissan Leaf, the purely electric model that came in third place (5,212 sold this year).  The Prius Plug-in was the second-fastest selling car in March 2012, and the third-fastest in April.  It even outpaced sales of the Volt during the month of April. The car gets the gasoline equivalent of 95 miles per gallon and has a starting price in the US of about $32,000.

It’s a good start, especially for a vehicle in a category that comprises a mere sliver of the automotive market (some perspective: The Ford F-Series pickup truck, the top-selling car in August 2012, moved 58,201 units that month). What’s more, the Prius Plug-In is only available in 15 “launch” states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The car will be available in remaining states sometime in 2013.

To read the entire article go to: http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2012/1009/Toyota-Prius-Plug-in-the-little-electric-hybrid-that-could-video