Toyota Motor Corp plans to start mass producing plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2012, with a projected first-year output of about 20,000 to 30,000 units, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday.
No word on how many will reach the U.S., or when sales will start here. Toyota has said the vehicle will be powered by lithium-ion batteries developed and produced by its joint venture with Panasonic. The cars would be able to run up to 18 miles on battery power alone before a backup gas powerplant kicked in.
A PHEV Prius won't come cheap, though. Expect the cost to be somewhere close to the $47,000 Mitsubishi EV, before federal tax credits.
Toyota to mass produce plug-in hybrids from 2012 - Nikkei | Reuters
