09/10/2008 06:25. Several companies have begun converting Toyota Priuses and Ford
Escape Hybrids to plug-in vehicles. Having watched this aftermarket
industry develop, we have had our Prius Touring converted to a plug-in for evaluation, sacrificing a factory warranty for science.
Toyota, too, has taken notice and developed its own plug-in Prius,
which it showed at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November. The company plans to offer a production plug-in
Prius based on the next-generation car by 2012.
Like today’s hybrids, plug-ins improve gas
mileage by using both electricity and a gasoline engine to power
the car. However, plug-ins have bigger batteries than ordinary
hybrids, and the batteries can’t be recharged by
the engine alone. They have to be recharged by being plugged in,
much like a... //
Consumer reports 