Toyota unveils plug-in hybrid car

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Source: CCTV.com | 07-30-2007 10:09

A Toyota Motor Corp.'s employee holds up a three-prong plug for a photo during the unveiling of a plug-in hybrid vehicle in Tokyo July 25, 2007. (Yuriko Nakao/Reuters)

Japanese automaker Toyota has unveiled what it says is the world's first certified plug-in and go car for public use.

Certified by Japan's Transport Ministry, Toyota's prototype Plug-in HV Prius uses a gas-powered combustion engine and an electric motor -- like earlier hybrids. But it has a bigger capacity battery which enables it to run longer.

The Plug-in Prius has a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour and an electric motor range of 13 kilometers. The new model is not fully electric, but it will help protect the environment.

Toshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer, Toyota, said, "Because it runs on an external energy supply too, the car can use multiple sources of energy. The range of the electric vehicle has also been extended and it will cut down on carbon dioxide emissions."

Toyota plans to conduct US and European road tests for the Prius.

The company is boosting overall hybrid production by 40 percent this year and plans to double the number of hybrid models within three years.

Editor:Du Xiaodan