Toyota Motor Corp. says it has started taking orders from Japanese dealerships for its Prius PHV gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle. Deliveries of the model will begin in late January 2012.
The vehicle is designed to operate in electric-only mode during short trips and shift to hybrid mode for medium- and long-distance trips. Toyota says the Prius PHV's high-capacity lithium-ion batteries enable a range of 26.4 km in electric mode on a full charge, and the vehicle automatically switches to hybrid mode when the battery depletes to a minimum level.
The company adds that its sales target for this model for 2012 is 35,000 to 40,000 units.
