Next Prius to crack 100mpg

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Hatchback, Hybrid, Toyota, Toyota Prius, Europe & UK, US

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Well, possibly…

With a combined fuel economy rating of 65.7mpg, the current Toyota Prius is only just fuel efficient enough to justify its lofty £17k-and-upwards sticker price. Not that that prevents Generation X’ers from kidding themselves that their petrol-electric pride and joy isn’t torching the planet like any other car. But what if Toyota smashed the 100mpg barrier with the next version of the Prius?

If UK rag Auto Express is to be believed, Toyota’s engineers are targeting 40km/litre – that’s a totally unprecedented 113mpg in old money. Apparently, much of the efficiency increase comes courtesy of a set of upgraded lithium ion batteries. Lithium ion batteries pack far more punch per pound than the nickel-hydride cells of the existing car, but they don’t come cheap. The new Prius could be out as soon as 2008 and is expected to shave a full second off the current model’s 10.9 second sprint to 60mph. Of course, fact checking isn’t exactly a favoured hobby over at Auto Express, so for now we suggest you take all this under advisement. But just the suggestion of a 100mpg-busting petrol car is tantalising indeed. Down with dreary diesels!

Linkage:
Auto Express