Today Toyota released some of the early details about the next generation Toyota Prius that is due sometime in 2015.
Today Toyota released some of the early details about the next generation Toyota Prius that is due sometime in 2015. Toyota’s Managing Officer Satoshi Ogiso outlined the launch of a new era in hybrid technology with the arrival of the next-generation Prius.
Stressing Toyota’s further commitment to industry hybrid leadership, Ogiso announced that “when the next generation Prius arrives, it will begin a new era for a broad range of Toyota and Lexus vehicles” and will be “the first to introduce a substantially improved family of hybrid powertrains.”
In an effort to improve the Prius’s fuel efficiency by about 10 percent to around 55 MPG, Toyota is going to give the next Prius a more efficient engine, improved batteries with higher energy density and more powerful, yet smaller electric motors. The next Prius will also utilize Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), featuring a lower center of gravity and increased structural rigidity, which will contribute to greatly improved driving dynamics.
Improved aerodynamics will contribute to an all-new exterior design. Ogiso promised a roomier interior and significant refinements in design, layout and ease of operation.
Toyota is also working on a new Prius Plug-in hybrid that will have a longer range and new wireless chargine capability. “We have been listening very carefully to Prius PHV owners and are considering their requests for additional all-electric range. We have also heard from owners that they would like a more convenient charging operation,” Ogiso said. “In response, we are developing a new wireless/inductive charging system that produces resonance between an on-floor coil and an onboard coil to transmit power to the battery, providing charging without the fuss of a cable.” He said verification work on the system will be conducted in Japan, the U.S. and Europe in 2014.
Source: Toyota
