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I just did some digging to see how the Volt and PHEV Prius differ. The Prius will keep the current 1.5 L engine, but increase the electric motor hp so that it can reach 62 mph on electric alone provided you are easy on the throttle. Beyond that it's unclear if the engine would run to recharge the battery while providing propulsion, or just provide propulsion once the battery is expended. Current PHEV prototypes run a double Ni-mH battery pack and get about 7 miles to a charge. Like everybody else Toyota is waiting for Li-ion batteries to show their promise of increased range vs a similarly sized Ni-mH. Toyota is having huge concerns about heat management and quality control.
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