Toyota took another step away from dependence on gasoline in 2012 with the introduction of the four-door hatchback Prius Plug-in hybrid. While similar in appearance and features to the regular Prius, the Plug-in is powered in part by a lithium-ion battery pack that is rechargeable through an external source, such as an outlet in a home garage.
The Plug-in runs in all-electric EV mode or in hybrid mode when the 1.8-liter four-cylinder kicks in and combines with two electric motors to produce 134 horsepower. At its rollout, the Plug-in was offered with limited availability in only 15 states.
