Toyota has revealed that its new Prius Plug-in hybrid will cost less than £31,000 when it launches in the UK in 2012. This figure is before any incentives are taken into account, such as the £5,000 Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicle grant scheme run by the Government.
Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) tax rate for company car users is expected to be no more than £52 a month, with 100 per cent Write Down Allowance for businesses give it the potential to be a very important new model in the fleet market. Businesses will also save on lower National Insurance contributions.
Clearly the Japanese carmaker is pricing the Prius Plug-in not at other hybrids but at the electric car competition where it is comparable with the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi iMiEV price. However, Toyota is hoping to gazump its rival thanks to the combination of electric motor, a lithium-ion battery and a petrol engine. When charged the car can cover around 14 miles purely in EV mode, beyond this point the vehicle switches into hybrid mode, using a combination of the electric motor and the 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine.
Although yet to be ratified, the manufacturer predicts official CO2 emission figures of just 49g/km and 134.5mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle – setting it apart from any other hybrid on the market and putting it in the same ballpark as the Vauxhall Ampera.
Capable of being plugged into the mains, a full charge will take an hour and a half from a standard 3 point socket.
Ewan Shepherd, General Manager Toyota/Lexus Fleet Services said: “Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be an exciting and valuable addition to what is already an industry-leading Toyota range that delivers significant financial benefits to companies and company car drivers with advanced and highly efficient models such as Prius and the British-built Auris Hybrid.”
Toyota has also finalised an agreement with LeasePlan, which will see the fleet operator promote the benefits of the Prius Plug-in to its clients.
Didier Leroy, Toyota Motor Europe President, said: “With the commercial launch of the new Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, the partnership with LeasePlan supports our commitment to offer fleet customers a greener, more efficient mobility solution.
“Toyota has already put almost 3.3 million hybrids on the road. The introduction of Prius Plug-In Hybrid is a major step in our company’s journey towards sustainable mobility by reducing energy consumption, improving air quality and further curbing CO2 emissions. We are very satisfied to work in partnership with LeasePlan; by endorsing our technology, LeasePlan will not only help us to raise awareness and understanding, but also enable us to engage with their customer base.”
Vahid Daemi, Chairman of the Managing Board and CEO of LeasePlan Corporation N.V., added: “We are excited to enter into this new partnership. For many years we have worked with our clients on improving both operational and environmental fleet performance. It is partnerships such as these that help us continue to meet the needs of our clients and, at the same time, further support our ambitions in this area. The insights we will gain through this relationship will be valuable to our sustainable mobility approach and will further support our global GreenPlan service.”
