The 65 mpg rating was achieved during a combined testing including both gasoline and electric modes, Autonews wrote, in which testers driven the cars in normal conditions. "That is real-world driving. I ask my guys to drive them as you drive your normal Prius,” Bill Reinert, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s national alternative-fuel vehicle manager, was quoted as saying by Autonews.
But this is not the first time when Toyota praised the fuel economy brought by the upcoming Prius, as the Japanese manufacturer repeatedly insisted the hybrid is capable of achieving an impressive consumption, depending on driving style and road conditions.
"How hard do you drive it? How fast do you drive it? When the hybrids first came out, there was a huge variance in gas fuel economy, depending on your right foot and other conditions. That difference is just magnified, supercharged, turbocharged with a plug-in electric because how fast you go really pulls the current out of the battery. It is a big deal,” Reinert said at the 2009 North American International Auto Show according to the aforementioned source.
Toyota will continue its testing sessions in the last months of the year as it plans to send approximately 150 Prius plug-in hybrids to universities, commercial fleets and individuals. Each of these models will incorporate a lithium-ion battery pack that will help the manufacturer determine the best system for the future lineup.
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