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2017 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Gets Different Name for Europe, Adds Solar Roof

Having made its global debut in the States earlier this year as the Prius Prime, the plug-in hybrid version of the mid-size eco-friendly vehicle has now made its first appearance on European soil. The biggest difference between the U.S. and European model, as we were expecting it to be, is a change of names: PHV versus Prime.
2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live pictures at 2016 Paris Motor Show 30 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/Guido ten Brink
2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid) live at 2016 Paris Motor Show2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)2017 Toyota Prius PHV (Prime / Plug-In Hybrid)
Say hello to the 2017 Toyota Prius PHV. The three-letter suffix, as you might have guessed by now, stands for plug-in hybrid vehicle. But this PHEV is a bit different from other of its kind, chiefly because it has a ginormous solar panel sandwiched into the roof. Unfortunately no, it doesn’t do anything if the car is being driven or if stationary and plugged in. But when it is just stationary, the solar roof charges a solar battery, which then charges the car’s battery.

Toyota is adamant that the photovoltaic cells can up the ante with ”around 3 miles every day,” translating to 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) of EV range per year. Other than the roof, the Prius PHV differs from the regular Prius in appearance as well. The vertical DRLs, sleeker headlights, taillights that are integrated into the extremities of the curved rear spoiler, there are many cues that make a difference between the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid and hybrid.

The powertrain, on the other hand, consists of pretty much the same internals as the model on which the Prius PHV is based on. The 1.8-liter Atkinson-type mill is supported by an electric motor. There’s a second electric motor integrated into the Dual Motor Drive System, which ramps up EV driving power to 68 kW (92 PS or 91 horsepower). The lithium-ion battery, however, has double the capacity (8.8 versus 4.4 kWh) compared to hybrid Prius. Tipping the scales at 264.5 lbs (120 kg), the automaker highlights that the battery in the Prius PHV is “just 50 percent heavier than its predecessor.”

Thanks to a maximum charging power of 3.3 kW, the 8.8 kWh battery can be charger quicker than the old Prius Plug-In Hybrid could. Using a Type II Mode II Mennekes connector, charging takes 2 hours. Using a regular plug socket like the one in your garage, charging takes 3 hours and 10 minutes. Last, but certainly not least, the Japanese automaker advertises a “targeted average fuel consumption of only 1.0 liters/100 km and CO2 emissions of just 22 g/km” for the 2017 Toyota Prius PHV. EV range? 30-plus miles (48 km).
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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