3.5.2012 US Plug-in Prius sales beat competitors

The Toyota Plug-in Prius went on sale a couple of months ago in the US, ahead of its UK launch due in July.

Sales volumes so far have been impressive – with 1,654 units sold in April alone, it has been more popular than other plug-in cars on the market such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF, which sold 1,462 and 370 units respectively.

This gives some indication of the likely popularity of these cars when they all become available in the UK. After the plug-in car grant benefit, the Plug-in Prius will be on sale in the UK for £27,895, and with CO2 emissions of just 49 g/km, high fuel economy and road tax and congestion charge exemption, it is likely to be a popular choice here too.

The Toyota Prius is the world's best selling hybrid car and the plug-in version has achieved the highest sales volumes in the US compared to competing models since its launch. It is more than likely that the strong name recognition and reputation of the conventional Prius hybrid has boosted sales.

Overall, Toyota and Lexus sold 32,593 hybrids last month, 30,126 of them wearing the Toyota badge, 2,467 of them the upper class Lexus models.

The Plug-in Prius uses a smaller battery than the Chevrolet Volt, and obviously the pure-electric LEAF. Although the all-electric range is therefore smaller, fuel efficiency is still high and recharge times are significantly reduced. Maybe this is a more gradual way to introduce plug-in vehicles into the market, with less of a sudden change to pure battery-electric models – it seems to be working in the US so far for Toyota!

The Plug-in version of the Prius can now be ordered in the UK, and deliveries will begin in July. With more than 2,000 charge points located across the country now displayed on our Zap-Map, there are plenty of places to stop for a top-up charge.

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