Prince Albert test drives new Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco receives the keys to his new Prius Plug-In Hybrid, which he has on a two month loan

His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco has taken delivery of the first production Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Europe.

Prince Albert has the car on a two month loan, and Toyota is hopeful that it will replace the standard Prius which he currently uses.

Monaco is running an incentive scheme to encourage environmentally friendly vehicles in the Principality. Subsidies of €5,500 are provided for full hybrid vehicles emitting less than 60 g/km of CO2, while full electric vehicles can receive subsidies of up to €9,000.

Monaco also has 424 free charging stations.

Emitting just 49g/km of CO2, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid uses a lithium-ion battery to offer an electric vehicle driving range of 25km.

Beyond this, it can be used as a conventional full hybrid, offering all the efficiency of a standard Prius, enabling it to deliver a driving range of more than 1,200km.

The car can be fully recharged from a conventional plug in 90 mins.

Toyota initiated the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle project in 2007 and its real world tests show that the PHEV consumes 36 per cent less fuel than the comparable, best-in-class diesel vehicle and almost 50 per cent less than the best in-class petrol vehicle.

Visit Toyota.eu for further information.