Toyota premieres 5th-generation Prius plug-in
Toyota launched the global world premiere of its fifth-generation Prius from Japan this morning. The famed plug-in hybrid sees a new exterior design and will deliver a decent boost to its electric range compared to its previous generation.
The Toyota Prius has been in production for over two decades and holds its spot in automotive history as the first mass produced hybrid electric vehicle in the world. It has been sold as a plug-in hybrid EV since 2012, which was followed by the Toyota Prius Prime first introduced in 2016.
The Prime offered an all-electric EPA range of 25 miles, over twice the range of the first generation model. With today’s announcement of Toyota’s next generation of plug-in hybrid, the Prius can deliver even more all-electric range alongside a more aerodynamic design. Have a look.
New Toyota Prius sees most substantial redesign in years
Toyota shared details of the new Prius via a press release following its global premiere event (seen below). The vehicle features a new plug-in hybrid system complete with a more powerful motor (and engine).
The body of the new Prius has been “aerodynamically streamlined” for better fuel efficiency, handling, and stability. Its second-generation GA-C platform features less weight, increased rigidity, and a lower center of gravity as well.
According to Toyota, the target of this new Prius was to enable drivers to complete a majority of their daily commutes in EV mode, which provides 50% more range than the previous generation (~36 miles vs. 25 miles). This added range comes from the Prius’ new 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery, integrated with more energy dense cells installed under the rear seat.
Following the debut in Japan, the fifth-generation Toyota Prius will be in display at Automobility LA. Its European premiere will take place on December 5 ahead of sales in the spring of 2023 in the plug-in version only. Check out the world premiere video below.
Electrek’s Take
While the Prius cannot be forgotten for its role in the automotive market as a once-dominant segue into all-electric vehicles, Toyota’s profound emphasis on this latest generation PHEV as a design feat to be celebrated completely undermines its lack of dedication to the BEV industry that is speeding forward without it.
The added all-electric range is nice and all, don’t get me wrong. The new Prius could serve as an excellent affordable commuter car for those consumers who may not exhaust all of their 13.6 kW battery to and from work each day. In that sense it’s good, but this is still a vehicle equipped with a combustion engine that releases carbon emissions. So it’s a non-starter for me.
I can’t help but feel as if I’m sharing news of a brand new DVD player in the age of streaming. Plug-ins are certainly better than traditional combustion vehicles and plain old hybrids, but we’ve already seen BEV models in the $40,000s with several more on the horizon pushing $30k. At that price point, why bother with a Prius?
Perhaps it could serve as a stopgap before your next BEV, especially with such high wait times due to exorbitant demand. We can never knock the Prius for what it helped start for electric vehicles, but its time in the sun sure appears to be fleeting, so forgive me if I’m not as eager to put Toyota up on my shoulders as a champion for delivering yet another hybrid, even if it is a plug-in.
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Environment
U.S. crude oil falls below $60 a barrel to lowest since 2021 on tariff-fueled recession fears
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025.
Pavel Mikheyev | Reuters
U.S. oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Sunday on fears President Donald Trump’s global tariffs would push the U.S., and maybe the world, into a recession.
Futures tied to U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. The move comes after back-to-back 6% declines last week. WTI is now at the lowest since April 2021.
Worries are mounting that tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses, which could lead to a slowdown in economic activity that would ultimately hurt demand for oil.
Oil futures, 5 years
The tariffs, which are set to take effect this week, “would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,” according to JPMorgan. The firm on Thursday raised its odds of a recession this year to 60% following the tariff rollout, up from 40%.
Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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