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Toyota’s progress towards bringing its
Prius Plug-in Hybrid to the marketplace has received a significant boost
with the news that it qualifies for Government grant support against its
future purchase price. The
Department for Transport and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles
announced today that Prius Plug-in – currently undergoing a
demonstration leasing programme in London – meets its criteria for the
Plug-in Car Grant, by which people buying the car will receive up to
£5,000 towards its cost.
Jon Williams, Toyota Managing Director,
said: “I welcome today’s announcement which demonstrates that Toyota’s
advanced, user friendly plug-in technology is recognised as having
significant potential to make a valuable contribution to the UK’s low
carbon transport strategy.
“Toyota is committed to developing
sustainable low emissions mobility and Prius Plug-in marks an important
step in our environmental leadership, delivering exceptional emissions
and fuel performance in urban driving.
“This consumer incentive scheme will
further strengthen the case for Prius Plug-in among private and fleet
owners, following the model’s market introduction in 2012.”
Prius Plug-in is equipped with a
compact and powerful lithium-ion battery that enables the car to run on
electric power alone for up to 12.5 miles and at speeds up to 62mph with
zero fuel consumption and zero tailpipe emissions.
A key benefit of the hybrid system is
that, once battery power has been used up, the car switches
automatically to its petrol-hybrid engine, removing the “range anxiety”
associated with all-electric vehicles.
Thanks to its ability to run further in
EV mode, it achieves exceptional combined cycle fuel efficiency, with an
official 108.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 59g/km*, figures that
are a 30 per cent improvement on the standard, third-generation Prius.
Prius Plug-in’s environmental
performance is further strengthened by the fact that, compared to diesel
cars, it emits much less NOx and no particulates. And when running on
its electric motor alone – in EV mode – it produces no CO2 or
NOx.
Eligible cars and
availability dates
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Mitsubishi
i-MiEV: Jan 2011
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Smart fortwo
electric drive: Jan 2011
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Peugeot iOn: Jan
2011
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Nissan Leaf:
March 2011
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Tata Vista:
March 2011
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Citroen CZero:
Early 2011
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Toyota Prius
Plug-in Hybrid: Early 2012
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Chevrolet Volt:
Early 2012
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Vauxhall Ampera:
Early 2012
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