Toyota Says New Prius Roomier, More Fuel Efficient

2010 Toyota Prius

TORRANCE, Calif.: October 16, 2008 - Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest seller of hybrid-electric cars, said a version of its Prius hatchback due next year will be roomier and more fuel- efficient.


Images posted on the Internet yesterday show the 2010 model Prius, Allison Takahashi, a spokeswoman for the Japanese carmaker's U.S. sales unit, confirmed in an interview. The car is to be unveiled in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, she said. Toyota didn't post the photos, Takahashi said.

The new vehicle ``is about the same size as its forebear, but with more interior room and better fuel economy,'' the company said in an e-mailed message.

Prius, sold in the U.S. since 2000, has the best fuel- economy among autos from major carmakers, getting 46 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, according to the U.S. government. A decision to keep using nickel-metal hydride batteries, rather than lighter, more powerful lithium-ion, as the car got bigger suggested Toyota might struggle to lift efficiency.

The company has increased the size of the electric motor, allowing the new car to rate higher in federal fuel-economy tests, said K.G. Duleep, managing director of consulting firm Energy & Environmental Analysis Inc. in Arlington, Virginia.

``They cover more of the test cycle running solely on electricity, with the gasoline engine off longer,'' said Duleep, who advises U.S. agencies and automakers including Toyota on advanced vehicle technologies. Toyota also limited weight increases by using lighter materials, he said.

The new car is probably 3 to 4 miles per gallon more efficient when tested in city driving conditions, he said.

[Source : Bloomberg ; Image courtesy of PRIUSCHAT]