DRIVEN: 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, So What's The BIG Deal?

Edmunds' Green Car Advisor reports:

I know I'm supposed to be all excited about this, but frankly, it's hard to muster up much more than a heartfelt "hooray" and a litle skip and mabe half-a-jump about Toyota's plug-in Prius with its advanced lithium-ion battery.

That's not to say it's not a nice piece of work - just that the Prius package is so familiar that even with extended all-electric range it really doesn't seem most of the time as though you are doing anything out of the ordinary.

I'm down in San Diego for a Toyota sustainability seminar and have just completed about 40 miles around the beach community of La Jolla in a trio of blue mica metallic Priuses with "plug in hybrid" logos on one front quarter panel and trap doors hiding a J1772 charger connector on the other.

They seem to do everyting Toyota has said its PHEV will do, including powering down the freeway at a steady 60 miles an hour in all-electric drive for a bit...

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uaw_lax - 5/31/2010 11:22:37 PM

+3 Boost

"Is it supposed to be a big deal? Same ultimate hybrid but now you can plug it in. Using GM's BS mileage formula, you should be able to get about 9000mpg."

If this thing does not kill you first with Toyota's shoty engineering and recent number of deaths.

uaw_lax - 5/31/2010 11:23:28 PM

+3 Boost

Better hope this thing is not an eletric chair for four.