Great Avatar! And thanks for the link. Something else for the rumor mill to grind.

I especially liked the last line of the first page. Something you don't often find in the mainstream media - the idea that plugging in can capture a HUGE variety of power sources.

OK. I Liked this too:
"The next generation Prius, due around calendar year 2009, will almost certainly use a plug-in system. The car may launch as a normal hybrid and later, once the lithium ion battery technology is ready, switch to plug-in capability. Or, it may be a plug-in from the beginning using a large NiMh pack and switch to lithium ion later. We think the latter may be true because we’ve heard rumors that the vehicle architecture is being designed for both battery types. "

I added my comment to the page.

The Los Angeles Times' Martin Zimmerman also test drove the prototype plug in Prius.

Toyota's plug-in Prius is work in progress
[excerpts]

wow... after all news reports that Toyota was not going to release plug ins, now they are announcing a model in 2 years? wow... wonder who will be first, Toyota or GM volt?

Judging from the recent past, I suspect that the Toyota plugin will be at least several years ahead of the Volt.

For more information on Toyota's view on PHEV Prius, check out this 37 minute lecture by Toyota Senior Engineer Bill Reinert:

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1342

He comments on where Toyota thinks PHEVs make most sense (Japan and France), how long the EV range should be, that the mule will use NiMH but the production PHEV will use LiIon and that the PHEV is definitely coming from Toyota at some stage in the future (but no clear indication of when!).

For a review (road test) of Toyota's own 2xNiMH plug-in Prius, check out:

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1343