Toyota testing plug-in Prius in the UK

In the lead up to the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Toyota has announced that it's testing a plug-in version of its Prius hatchback in the UK.

A plug-in Prius sucking down some coal-fired power

As part of this test Toyota is partnering with EDF Energy, an electricity generator and supplier in Britain, supplying plug-in versions of the Prius for EDF's corporate fleet. The vehicles will be driven by EDF Energy employees and evaluated in real-world conditions.

The modified plug-in Priuses can be charged at a standard electrical outlet or at any of the 40 charging posts in the UK that EDF Energy plans to deploy in the coming months. Supplemented by the periodic charges these plug-in Priuses will be able to travel farther on electric-only power, eliminating the use of the petrol engine completely for short trips. Toyota is claiming that for trips less than 25km, the plug-in Prius will use roughly 60 per cent less fuel than the current people's champion of green, the standard Toyota Prius hybrid.

The test is currently UK only but, with the American public clamouring for ever thriftier vehicles, there's little doubt that there will be a plug-in Prius available in the future. Whether it makes it down under is another question altogether.