First buyers of the all-new Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

First buyers of the all-new Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid are all charged up of the newest member of the proven and popular Prius family

 (TORONTO, ON – September 28 2012) The all-new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid just went on sale through Toyota dealerships across Canada this month, and some of the first buyers are eager to share their stories.  Why? The Toyota Prius Plug-in carries a suggested starting price of just $35,700 – the lowest of any plug-in hybrid (before applicable government incentives of up to $5,092* in certain provinces); it offers an impressive list of standard features and intuitive technologies; and most of all, only the Toyota Prius Plug-in can deliver confidence that’s based on the most proven hybrid powertrain in the world. 

Prius Plug-in first owners speak up
 
The first owners of the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid include noted scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki, Autoshare and University of Sherbrooke professor Maxime Dubois.
 
Here are a couple of their stories:

·        “The integration of electric vehicle operation, which switches seamlessly to full hybrid mode as needed, is what attracts me most to the Prius Plug-in Hybrid,” noted Autoshare President Kevin McLaughlin. “This results in less range anxiety while offering optimum fuel efficiency and supports the next generation of car sharing – the use of plug-in hybrid vehicles and green energy sources to further reduce society’s carbon emissions.”
 
·        “I have been driving a second generation Prius for four years, and as a university professor I had the chance to test the Prius Plug-in Hybrid in 2010,” said Maxime Dubois. “There is a unique feeling associated with a pure EV run, while the availability of the gasoline engine for higher power and longer distance journeys gives one the feeling of driving a highly optimized vehicle, where every bit of energy is used for the right purpose.

Fast Facts on the 2012 Prius Plug-in
The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid delivers the future of the automobile, and it’s now available through Toyota Dealerships across Canada. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid inspires confidence like no other plug-in. That’s because the Prius Plug-in and its third generation Hybrid Synergy Drive technology – already proven in more than four million vehicles around the globe – was extensively tested in Canada, undergoing more than two years of real-world field trials as part of a global testing program. Feedback from these trials helped Toyota engineers optimize the Prius Plug-in’s driving and ownership experience.
 
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid features room for five adults and up to 443 litres of luggage space. With a powerful but lightweight lithium-ion battery pack, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is ready to go with a full charge in as little as 90 minutes when connected to a 220v dedicated socket or 3 hours when connected to a 110v dedicated 15 amp socket – and automatically switches to its full hybrid gasoline-electric system once the electric power is depleted so there’s never any worry about arriving at your destination.
 
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid offers impressive efficiency of just 2.0 L_e / 100 KM^† (city/highway combined) when taking advantage of its Electric Vehicle (EV) capabilities. And the Prius Plug-in Hybrid’s Electric Vehicle range – up to 25 KM in city driving – means typical Canadian commuter ranges can be made without using a drop of gas.  The Prius Plug-in is also capable of driving on electric power alone (or EV mode) up to 100 kilometres per hour. The 2012 Prius Plug-in is available through dealers across Canada.

Join us for our Hybrid Open House Event

A Huge Endeavour: Toyota Tundra Towing Space Shuttle Last Leg to Science Center Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/a-huge-endeavour-2012-toyota-tundra-towing-space-shuttle-last-leg-to-science-center-261209.html#ixzz26OBNVLSz

Photo by N49Photo.com

From the “we didn’t see this coming” department, a 2012 Toyota Tundra CrewMax truck will tow the 300,000-pound space shuttle Endeavour the last leg to its permanent home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The 2012 Tundra will transport the historic vessel the last quarter mile of its trip when the event takes place on October 13 of this year. To prepare for such a project, Toyota worked with The Sarens Group, a heavy lifting and transport company, to develop a custom heavy-duty dolly.

 

Toyota claims the 2012 Toyota Tundra used for the stunt is an unmodified CrewMax model with a 381-hp 5.7-liter V-8 under the hood. The truck’s maximum sustained towing capacity is 10,000 pounds. This isn’t the first time Toyota and the California Science Center have worked together. Toyota has had a partnership with the Science Center, and currently has a Tundra on display at the museum as part of an exhibit demonstrating the physics of leverage. That truck will be replaced by the one towing the Endeavour when the Endeavour exhibit opens on October 30.

For more information on the Tundra Endeavour project, head to Toyota.com/TundraEndeavour after September 17. When the Toyota Tundra arrived for the 2008 model year, we named it the Motor Trend truck of the year but would never have guessed it might one day tow a space shuttle, even for just a quarter mile.

Written by: Edward A. Sanchez [G+] on September 13 2012 9:00 AM

Prius Plug-in Hybrid Bests Volt, Leaf in First Six Months of Sales

After six full months on the market, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid has sold 6,061 units, outpacing the first six months of sales for the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.


Given that the Prius already had quite the following before its plug-in hybrid model hit the market, it’s no surprise that Toyota’s first six months of sales were significantly better than the Volt’s 2,745 and the Leaf’s 3,875. Keep in mind that those are the first six months of each respective car’s totals, and not the same six-month period that Toyota was selling its Prius Plug-in Hybrid model.

The Volt has since recovered, but the Leaf has continued to stumble. Regardless, buyer data has shown that consumers choose the Prius Plug-in over the Volt and Leaf because of its fuel economy, which helps dispel range anxiety of pure electric vehicles. Though that logic applies more to the Leaf than the Volt.

The Prius Plug-in is rated at 95 MPGe with a full charge taking 2.5 to 3 hours using a standard 120-volt household outlet. A 240-volt charging station can fully charge the Plug-in in 1.5 hours.

“When I pre-ordered the Prius Plug-in, I was wondering (and hoping) if it would do my 15-mile commute in all-electric EV mode. To my pleasant surprise, I have found that I can do it with 2 – 2-1/2 miles of EV range to spare. Even with the A/C on, I make it home with a mile or more left. Of course, terrain, speed limits, climate and driving style have something to do with that,” said Prius Plug-in Hybrid owner Paul Kenyan.

Article by  Jason Siu  |  Sep 12, 8:31 AM in Autoguide.com

All-new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid now available across Canada

Peace Arch Toyota is proud to announce we are now taking orders for the 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid. With a starting price of only $35,700 this limited supply will sell out fast. For more information please click here.

Toyota added that every Prius Plug-in Hybrid offers an impressive suite of standard equipment from comfort, convenience and safety features, to advanced and intuitive technologies. Add to that applicable government incentives in certain provinces of up to $5,092, and the Prius plug-in delivers even better value, said the vehicle maker

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid features room for five adults and up to 446 litres of luggage space. With its lithium-ion battery pack, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is ready to go with a full charge in as little as 90 minutes when connected to a 220v dedicated socket or three hours when connected to a 110v dedicated 15 amp socket –- and automatically switches to its full hybrid gasoline-electric system once the electric power is depleted.

 According to the vehicle maker, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid comes with an impressive list of standard comfort, convenience and style features, such as the following: remote air conditioning system with automatic temperature control, heated front seats, display audio with navigation, and unique aluminum alloy wheels. An available Technology Package will further enhance the Prius Plug-in Hybrid with features such as radar cruise control and auto-leveling LED headlamps.  And the Prius Plug-in Hybrid benefits from an extensive suite of active and passive safety systems as standard, including the Star Safety System and seven airbags.

Toyota Canada finishes summer with 24.9% year over year gain in August

25.3% year-to-date growth

Camry #1 in intermediate segment year-to-date 

Record Hybrid sales

 

TORONTO, ON – September 4, 2012 – Toyota Canada Inc.’s strong summer sales continued in August, as all-new vehicles and refreshed designs drove all three brands to establish best-ever August records for a number of models and segments.

 

Toyota Canada reported sales of 17,556 Toyota, Lexus and Scion passenger cars, SUVs and trucks in August – up 25.3% from the same month in 2011. This included a new August record for trucks across all brands, up 42.4% to 8,164 (4^th straight month of record sales) and strong sales of smaller vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 and Scion models. 

 

Canadians continued to embrace Toyota's proven hybrid vehicles in record numbers – making a significant contribution to the segments in which Toyota offers a hybrid option.

Ford Falsely Claims Toyota Corolla’s ‘Best Seller’ Title

While last week Ford claimed that the Focus was the best selling car this year to date, it is now apparent that this isn’t actually true.


Ford's claim was that 522,000 Focuses sold worldwide through the first seven months of the year. Toyota immediately answered by saying that through those same seven months, it had moved  722,000 Corolla’s.
When notified of the difference, Ford admitted to making a mistake, and said that the number it wanted to release was actually for six months of sales. In the first six months of 2012, Ford claims that it sold 489,616 Focus’ while Toyota only moved 462,187 Corolla’s. Again, Toyota answered with a new sales number of 603,840 units sold.

Toyota says that not all of the Corolla variants were accounted for in the sales numbers, as worldwide, the Corolla sells as the Matrix, Corolla Fielder and Corolla Rumion. All the sales numbers used by Ford come from the IHS, who did not account for these other Corolla variants.

Still, even if an apples to apples comparison was conducted, Toyota claims that just the Corolla sedan and Auris hatchback, two body styles also offered by the Focus, sold 524,000  units in the first six months of this year, still beating out the Focus.

The IHS’ numbers only encompass 90 percent of Toyota worldwide sales, another factor cited by the company that contributed to Ford’s misleading numbers.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]