There are certainly a lot of rumors circling about the 2025 Toyota Prius, but not a single confirmation has been made by the company. The Prius has been known as a badge that introduces green energy in the auto industry decades even before electrified vehicles have been recognized. It’s the first brand that uses eco-friendly hybrid power, delivering premium performance and also exclusive name tag. Now, with other auto makers are busy developing their hybrid and electric powertrains, what would be left of Prius? Not to mention that there have been flying rumors about its existence, so which one is true?
The Hydrogen-Fueled Combustion Engine
A few years back, there was a rumor about 2025 Toyota Prius with hydrogen fueled combustion unit, which is said to release in 2025. Many auto enthusiasts are ‘suspicious’ that it may use the same combustion engine from Corolla.
The problem with Prius is about aging. The Japanese hybrid tag debuted in 2015 and it is in need of major transformation – not just special editions or minor refreshment work. Too bad that the company believes it’s the latter that they should do instead of addressing the core issues.
It’s also a good thing that they have finally listened to the critics and suggestion. They are ready to deliver the new Prius in 2025 not only with new look, but also with new technology for the powertrain. The current one has been running on electric motor and a 1.8 liter of unit, but it’s about to change for the future as the new model would be using hydrogen powered unit
According to some sources, the new Prius may be coming with the regular ICE and also electric powertrain, but would be ‘packaged’ within a completely new design. Afterwards, the company would release the new Prius with the hydrogen powered units. They should also think about building the required infrastructure for the (hydrogen) refueling.
All of these arrangements would take place in Japanese market first before they test it out to other global markets. So, if you want to have the hydrogen unit in North American market, be ready to wait longer.
What about Solid State Batteries?
Hydrogen powered unit sounds cool, right? But there is another rumor saying that Toyota is planning on having solid state batteries, which they are going to use for their lineup. But they aren’t going to debut those batteries for EV model, but for a hybrid, instead.
According to some sources, the company plans on commercializing the batteries by 2025, by incorporating them in hybrid models first. Why hybrid? Because such an arrangement makes it possible for them to use smaller (battery) pack, which is basically more inexpensive, than the bigger pack.
The company also believed that incorporating the new battery for hybrid would be a perfect ‘tough test’ for the technology. It somewhat helps them to understand the technology better and how they can improve their upcoming vehicle production. They want to have more experience with the battery cells to really understand the technology. Once costs can go down, they would think about expanding its usage to all electric products they make.
Toyota’s Future Plan
Toyota wanted to launch 30 EVs before 2030 globally. They would focus more on affordability instead of range for their future production. They also have plans to build batteries (in America), but it was initially meant for hybrids.
With the rumored hydrogen powered engine and solid state batteries, it’s difficult to pinpoint what Toyota has in mind when it comes to their future path. We should wait and see for their plan related to 2025 Toyota Prius.
Gallery of 2025 Toyota Prius: What Kind of Technology to Expect for the Future?
