Toyota Announces Price of Prius Gas/Electric Hybrid Sedan

20 April 2000

    NEW YORK, April 19 When the five-passenger Toyota Prius
gas/electric hybrid sedan goes on sale in the U.S. this summer, it will be
priced at $19,995.
    The price announcement was made today at the 2000 New York Auto Show by
Don Esmond, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division of
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
    "It is timely that this year's New York Auto Show opens to the public on
Earth Day, April 22, a celebration and an observance of the importance of
preserving and protecting our environment," said Esmond.
    The Toyota Prius is the world's first mass-produced gasoline/electric
hybrid vehicle.  It is a breakthrough in the combination of an efficient,
powerful gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine and a clean, quiet
electric motor.
    Prius has been on sale in Japan since December 1997, and has sold more
than 35,000 units.
    "It will be a success in the U.S. for the same reason it has been a
success in Japan," Esmond said.  "Prius is a real car."
    Prius will combine an affordable price, great performance and an abundance
of convenience features that will add up to a tremendous value.  Initially
offered in a single-spec trim level, all Prius vehicles will feature standard
equipment that includes anti-lock brakes, automatic transmission,
climate-control air conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors,
AM/FM/cassette stereo, an eight-year/100,000-mile battery and hybrid system
warranty, and free seven-day/24-hour roadside assistance.
    Prius' primary power is provided by an efficient all-aluminum, 1.5-liter
gasoline engine.  Peak power for the engine in U.S.-spec trim is 70 horsepower
at 4,500 rpm, with peak torque of 82 lb./ft. at 4,200.  The engine is equipped
with variable valve timing, which helps maximize efficiency across the full
rpm range and minimize emissions.
    The U.S.-spec Prius will benefit from a more powerful, more compact, and
lighter battery pack.  Peak battery-pack power has been increased by
20 percent to 25 kilowatts (kW), or 34 horsepower.  Each of the 38 modules
within the pack is only three-quarters of an inch thick and 20 percent lighter
in weight than the units in the Japan-version Prius.  The new lighter
batteries will reduce battery pack volume by 40 percent and will allow for
more cargo area in the trunk.
    Prius will deliver a combined fuel economy rating of about 50 miles per
gallon.  It also will carry SULEV emissions certification, which is nearly
90 percent cleaner than ULEV for smog forming exhaust gases.
    Production will begin in May with 100 percent of the initial build
allocated to a special dealer demonstration program that begins in June.  The
program is designed to give consumers the opportunity to live with and
evaluate hybrid technology for an extended period of time.
    Also in June, a Prius pre-order program will be posted on Toyota's web
site, http://www.toyota.com .  All orders will be finalized by dealerships and filled
on a first-in/first-out basis, with initial delivery to buyers in August.  As
an added incentive, buyers who complete this early-buyer process will receive
a complimentary three-year maintenance service plan.  The annual sales target
for Prius will be approximately 12,000 units.