The Congressional Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus is a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority area (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia). Today, the Caucus will hold a field hearing on electric drive vehicles in Nashville, and Toyota will be showing off the plug-in Prius prototype there. We're familiar with the Toyota PHEV Prius PR routine (we took one for a drive late last year at EVS23), but we'd be much happier about these events if certain Toyota execs didn't spend so much time downplaying the plug-in hybrid.

In any case, Toyota will also have Camry and Highlander hybrid models on display at the Caucus hearing, as well as a regular Prius. More details after the break.

Deals on gasoline make at least some sort of sense when automakers offer them (looking at you, crazy Chrysler), but when the latest free gas gimmick comes from buying Dockers, you know fuel prices are high. This is exactly what's going on, though, with a Father's Day sale at Sears that will give customers a $75 gas card and a $10 Sears gift card with the purchase of $100 worth of Men's Dockers stuff (but not shoes, purchases must be made between June 7 and 15). Sears is also giving away a 2008 Prius worth over $21,000. There is no purchase necessary - and you don't need to be a dad - to try and win the Prius, but the website to enter isn't active yet (guessing that'll happen on the 7th). A winner will be selected around the beginning of August.

[Source: Sears Holdings Corporation]

The used Toyota Prius market is heating up rapidly in the face of high gasoline prices. A quick check on eBay Motors shows that, despite the complicated systems which make up the world's best-selling hybrid, bidders are snatching up the Prius at a very high rate. Historically, mechanically-savvy individuals have been able to get a detailed manual in order to tackle vehicle maintenance and repair themselves. Will newer high-tech vehicles with more computer processing power than the original space shuttle dissuade do-it-yourselfers from tackling their own hybrid vehicle repair work?

Apparently, the good chaps at Haynes Manuals were able to get their hands on a Prius, which they then proceeded to strip down completely and rebuild. The process was completely documented and can be found in the new Haynes Manual for the 2001-2008 Toyota Prius. As we've mentioned, the complex and often dangerous electrical systems are rather robust, so perhaps the new-tech hybrid vehicles won't put a damper in the DIY spirit of the home-repairman too significantly.

The styrofoam hamburger container shape of the Toyota Prius elicits a lot of responses, good and bad. But when was the last time you saw one and thought, "wow"? Back when the hybrid was introduced, amazement might have been a common reaction, but we've seen the Prius in the U.S. for eight years already. What could possibly make us excited about the car now (well, aside from the high gas mileage). Toyota North America's head of product planning Mike O'Brien has been thinking about ways to bring the wow back to the Prius, and it all revolves around a plug. As US News talked to O'Brien and then tried to crack the truth from the rumors about the upcoming Prius refresh. Their guesses:

• An all-electric button to go a few miles on battery power alone. This is a pretty easy guess to make, as the EV button is already available on the Japanese Prius.
• Two-prong outlets. Power your laptop or DVD player right off the powerful hybrid battery? Could happen.
• Plug-in Prius. Um, yeah, this one we know about.
• Lastly, US News thinks that the new Prius could be used as an emergency generator. O'Brien told the magazine that, "There's enough power in a Prius battery to power a 1,200-square-foot house." This would be an option down the road - i.e., not in the Prius we'll be seeing in Detroit in January.

[Source: Rick Newman / US News via EV World]

Some see the success of the Toyota Prius, compared to such competitors as the Civic Hybrid, as proof that green cars need to look different from their normal siblings. While it may be a bit early on in the game to make this assessment, Ford's North American director of car design, Pat Schiavone, suggests that there could be a trend towards "green" styling cues. For instance, cars like the Honda Insight and GM EV1 are easily recognizable for their teardrop shape and covered wheels, both of which help with the vehicles' high efficiency. While nobody that I can think of considers covered wheels "sexy," Schiavone indicates that could change, saying, "This sort of science-project look could end up sexy, or perceived sexy." We've seen some rolling science projects on these pages... although often supremely practical, not one of them has been all that sexy. Also mentioned as earmarked for the future are the wings and spoilers used by Indy racers in the 1970s. Now that could be pretty cool!

[Source: AutoWeek]

With sales of many car and truck models cratering in recent months as gas prices continued to climb and the real estate market has continued its melt down, there has been one notable exception. Toyota has seen sales of the pioneering hybrid car climb by more than 67 percent in April compared to 2007. Toyota has been able to achieve this while slashing the incentives that they introduced after federal tax credits expired for the Prius. In 2007, Toyota spent $1,471 per vehicle in sales incentives, an amount which dropped to only $123 this year.

Even Toyota hasn't been immune to the overall sales downturn, as sales have dropped 3.3 percent so far this year. Toyota is currently capacity constrained for Prius production although that situation should change in 2009 when extra capacity is expanded along with the introduction of the third-gen model.

[Source: Detroit News]

click to enlarge

Remember the big deal it was when the "Here & Now" version of Monopoly came out and there was a Prius pawn inside? Well, there's Monopoly Prius standing guard at the entry way to the AFVI expo hall here in Las Vegas this week. The hybrid is totally decked out in Monopoly money decorations and has landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Seattle Space Needle painted on it. Aside from being a good conversation piece, the display takes care to note that the Prius is the first car in space - since the game's updated tokens were sent into orbit on the Space Shuttle at some point. Is this display a big deal? Not really, but when I get home from this trip, I'll post another batch of pictures I took a few months ago, just for fun. Who knew there was more than one person who wanted to decorate their car in Monopoly money?

For the eighth time in the last five years, the powertrain of the Toyota Prius has been recognized by jury of the International Engine of the Year competition as one of the best. This time around Engine Technology International magazine replaced the previous best fuel economy category with Best Green Engine. The change was done to recognize the desired for both reduced fuel consumption and emissions. The Prius engine and hybrid transmission combo achieves tank-to-wheel efficiency of 34 percent compared to 14-15 percent for most internal combustion engines. The Prius has also been rated at 104g/km of CO₂ on the European driving cycle. The 76hp 1.5L four cylinder combines with a 67hp electric motor/generator to achieve these results. The points spread from the 65 member jury of automotive journalists from 32 countries was actually pretty close for the top two spots with the Prius getting a narrow victory over BMW's single turbo 2.0L diesel with start/stop capability.

[Source: UkipMe.com, via Toyota Open Road]

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2008 UK Customer Satisfaction Index Study, produced along with What Car?, indicates that owners of the Prius are rather happy with their cars. For the second consecutive year, the second-generation of Toyota's iconic green machine, the Prius, has won the award as the highest scoring model in the U.K. on the Customer Satisfaction Index Study, setting the gold standard with a score of 901 of 1,000 possible points. Owners reported high quality and reliability when polled.

Miguel Fonseca, Managing Director for Toyota in the U.K., said: "We place a high emphasis on customer satisfaction in every aspect of the ownership experience. For us, the findings of the J.D. Power and Associates study and the award for Prius are a vindication of the work done throughout our company and our center network to support great products with exceptional service. I view this as an endorsement by customers of hybrid technology as a powertrain for today as well as the future." So, not only is the vehicle an excellent choice because of its green credentials, but also for its reliability. Score one for Toyota.

[Source: JD Power / What Car?]

Photo by OrangeLimey. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Starting in a few weeks (mid- to late-May) a Prius will cost you $400 more than it used to. Toyota announced across-the-board price increases to 2008 and 2009 Toyota and Lexus models today (Scion were "adjusted" back in April), and all Toyota models included in the list are up between $100 (the Tundra) and $500 (the Highlander hybrid). The price of the 2009 Camry hybrid has been upped $300 to $25,650. As for the smiling icon, the 2008 Prius' MSRP's new base price is $21,500 or 1.8 percent higher than before. On the Lexus side, the RX 400h is now $300 more and will cost you $41,580. As our friends at Autoblog point out probably won't slow down sales: in April 2008, 53.8 percent more Priuses were sold on average per day than in April 2007. Full list of price increases after the jump.

Don't accuse Seth "Robot Chicken" Green of getting a Prius just because it's the trendy thing to do. At the recent Tribeca Film Festival, Green was talking to Contact Music and said he's most impressed with the way his new Prius saves him money at the pump and that he can drive alone in the carpool lane. Whatever it takes, I guess. Green doesn't even like the way it looks; he said the car was "horribly ugly. It's not an attractive car at all." Still, he ramped it up to 111 mph on the way to San Diego (o rly?) and he's happy enough that he's willing to give the world's most popular hybrid at least a few props. Purely from a tightwad perspective, of course.

Photo by RavenU. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

[Source: Contact Music via Ecorazzi]

Click on the image for more shots of this custom Prius convertible

We would surely welcome a convertible Prius to Toyota's official list of offerings, but we doubt it would end up looking much like this one. Custom ordered by someone who goes by the handle 'exproducer' on Prius Chat, the Waveline Blue sedan has had its roof professionally removed, raising the cost of the Prius from about $28 grand to $46 grand. That's a lot of dough, to be sure. Four-door convertibles are quite rare, and they rarely look as good as their sportier two-door cousins. In this case, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. The owner loves their car, which is, of course, all that really matters. Still, the general consensus, even among Prius owners, seems to be that this particular Prius lost more than just its roof in this conversion. Whatever your opinions on the looks (we would prefer the window-frames removed), the work that went into this particular custom was very well done. On an efficiency note, the owner claims that their Prius convertible managed to pick up four miles per gallon while driving with the top up, and a loss of just two miles per gallon with it down.


[Source: Prius Chat]

Click on the photo for a gallery of high-res images of the Hybrid-X Concept

There's a good deal that we already know about Toyota's next Prius. For instance, we expect it to make its formal debut in 2009 at the Detroit Auto Show, along with a possible Lexus sister. We know that Toyota plans to increase production by 60 percent in 2009. We also expect Prius V.3 to be equipped with nickel metal hydride batteries to start, though lithium ions could go into the Lexus model. A recent article on Auto Observer reinforces all of these points and adds that Toyota is planning to increase the displacement of the new Prius' internal combustion engine to 1.8 liters from today's 1.5 liters. This should offer twenty-five extra horsepower from the engine, pushing total power to a combined 160 horses. Even with the added gumption, the next Prius is expected to post an efficiency increase of around 10 percent, possibly achieving 50-55 miles per gallon in the real world.

The next-gen Prius is expected to grow a bit larger and could get a wagon option as well, though the assorted hybrid bits will actually decrease in size. If the next Prius grows too large for your needs, rumors indicate that a smaller hybrid under the Prius banner is also possible. Auto Observer quotes an anonymous source as suggesting that the next generation Prius is "still Prius-eque, but a bit bigger and more solid looking." The current Prius' styling is an acquired taste, but most consider Gen-2 better looking than Gen-1. We have high hopes for the next Prius redesign, and the possible Prius brand as well.

[Source: Auto Observer]

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring.

Sure, hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are already considered by the masses to be the pinnacle of green automotive technology, but they are still most certainly in their infancy. We've already looked at ultracapacitors, diesel, biodiesel and cellulosic biofuels as potential green technolgies, but each of those could be paired with an electric motor as part of a hybrid drivetrain. Although GM would like you to consider the upcoming Volt as an electric vehicle, the fact remains that it also carries a small internal-combustion engine onboard, making it a hybrid of sorts although many people (ourselves included) are referring to it as an extended-range electric vehicle. Because so many potential breakthroughs include hybrid technologies, we look forward to the idea carrying on as one of the most promising ways for automobiles to go green.

Now, what's Number 1?

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring.

All the way back in September of 2005, Solomon Technologies sued Toyota for allegedly infringing on a patent related to hybrid powertrains. Shortly thereafter, Solomon attempted to get the importation of the Prius and Highlander hybrid vehicles to the U.S. halted. The International Trade Commission ruled in Toyota's favor, leading to an appeal by Solomon. Their first lawsuit has been stayed awaiting the resolution of the ITC case. The latest page of this saga has Solomon completing their arguments to a three-judge panel in Washington appeals court. Of course, we have no idea how all of this will pan out, but we don't imagine that it's anywhere near over if the past is any indication.