Why the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Is Better Than the Nissan LEAF

Upon first glance, the Nissan LEAF appears to be light years ahead of the soon to be released, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.  The Nissan LEAF is the world’s first 100% electric vehicle and features a reported range of about 100 miles (although this varies wildly with driving conditions).  What’s more, this vehicle will never require a drop of gasoline.  This vehicle is the future.

But we are in the present.  The Nissan LEAF is so advanced that it doesn’t work for society today.  By releasing a vehicle like the LEAF, Nissan essentially opted to run a marathon before mastering a half-marathon.  Furthermore, the LEAF simply does not fit in most American’s daily lives.  Thus, Nissan has run the risk of turning off the public to the idea of electric vehicles because right now, they are not practical for most of us.  Tell a fifty-year-old man today that he can only drive his EV 100 miles before he must recharge the vehicle (which take seven hours or longer) and that there are no charging stations within hundreds of miles from his home and you will spend the next ten years convincing him an EV is a great invention (even if the technology has improved drastically).

Thankfully, Chicago Toyota hybrid dealerships and Schaumburg Prius dealerships will soon give us the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.  This vehicle cleverly combines electric and hybrid technology with traditional features of gasoline powered vehicles.  The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid can go 13 miles on electric energy alone, but can then go another 460ish miles on one tank of gas, which holds under 10 gallons of fuel.  Additionally, the vehicle’s electric battery recharges in as little time as 90 minutes.  Now, tell this same man these facts and his response will no doubt be “incredible!”

Ultimately, a marathon is every carmaker’s goal, but right now the automobile industry is still in training.  Thus, Toyota will soon offer consumers an excellent “training” vehicle while the company’s engineers continue to press on to that marathon finish line.

For more information on the coming Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, visit your local Chicago Toyota hybrid and Schaumburg Prius dealer, Schaumburg Toyota.