Toyota Plans Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle with 120+ Mile Range

Toyota has unveiled a plug-in hybrid model of the fifth-generation Prius. However, the company is working on a plug-in hybrid vehicle with even greater range.

Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota's chief technology officer, said in a presentation Friday outlining Toyota's strategy for the next decade that the company is planning a plug-in hybrid that can travel more than 124 miles on electricity alone. Chief Technology Officer Nakajima did not say what test cycle would be used to achieve such a range, but it would likely be based on the WLTP cycle used overseas. He also did not mention the timing.

Nakajima said that Toyota wants to position future plug-in hybrids as "practical" electric vehicles. The typical owner would use only the electric mode for most travel, with the internal combustion engine as a backup for occasional long-distance travel or for travel in areas where charging infrastructure is lacking.

According to Nakajima, the company is developing a more efficient battery for its next-generation electric vehicle, due to arrive in 2026, which is expected to double the range of Toyota's current EVs.

The same battery could be used in Toyota's long-range plug-in hybrid vehicles. An alternative would be solid-state batteries, which Toyota is developing. The company has stated that the first application for solid-state batteries will be in hybrid vehicles. Solid-state batteries have a higher energy density, which would allow them to have a significantly longer range than liquid batteries of the same weight.

At the presentation, Nakajima also said that Toyota plans to pursue mass production of hydrogen-electric powertrains, albeit for commercial vehicles such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks rather than passenger cars. Assuming hydrogen filling stations are available, advantages include much lower weight and much faster refueling than battery-electric trucks.