Autocar - Toyota hints at a new Prius in 2022

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

On 12/12/2021 at 2:04 AM, Joseph D said:

That would be only duel fuelled as battery is not a fuel source, it is a storage medium.  
 

Even if it’s a PHEV?

[Joseph D]

11 hours ago, MyOpinionnotrespected said:

Even if it’s a PHEV?

I'm going to stick with yes, even if it's a PHEV.  My logic being that the 'fuel' or energy is the electricity you put into the Battery.  The Battery is still an energy store.

It could be seen as semantics though so I guess whatever makes sense to you.

[AJones]

I can't see hydrogen being the big new thing in the next model simply because the fueling infrastructure doesn't exist for it in most markets. If the Prius is going to remain a mass market model then the fuel will have to be electric and petrol, though maybe a hydrogen option in some markets as something of a demonstrator to sell in small volumes.

So that leaves options around PHEVs and EVs, maybe upgrading the base Prius into a PHEV, and/or upgrading the plug-in/Prime with a bigger Battery to give much more electric range. More radical would be the Prius to become an EV with a range extender, but that would be a departure away from the hybrid drive, so maybe an adaptation of the hybrid drive to make it something more range-extender like, with a smaller engine and higher power motors.

Perhaps something like a Prius with a 20 or 30kWh Battery, uprated motors and their 1.5L 3-cylinder engine for some support and Battery charging.