Toyota built the world’s first mass-production gas-electric hybrid vehicle in 1997, becoming a pioneer when most other automakers remained obsessed solely with petrol and diesel engines.
Now the automaker is pioneering a new frontier, one perhaps a bit less earth-rattling, but certainly interesting. The fourth-generation Prius is now being offered with a tow package. While that may sound peculiar given the vehicle’s sedan ride height and modest power output, Toyota believes this new option will give outdoorsy types another reason to love the hybrid.
Toyota’s 2016 Prius has a maximum towing capacity of 1,598 pounds, which roughly translates to a light caravan or a braked or unbraked trailer. Since “caravanning” is more of a euro-activity, Toyota may not be targeting the U.S. marketing directly with this feature, but you could probably pull a small trailer with a pair of dirt bikes without issue –- a commonplace sight here in California.
To set up towing capability, Prius owners will need to shell out for Toyota’s official towing hitch and wiring systems. Attaching the hitch seems simple enough: the accessory is fitted with clear green and red indicators to show when a secure connection is in place. For the vast majority of times when you aren’t towing something, simply unhook the hitch and store it in the trunk.
Also, for those who are worried about how the Prius might look with a hitch attachment (spoiler alert: it would look silly), all the hardware is concealed behind the bumper’s lower rim.
Toyota’s says its latest Prius generation is able to tow thanks to improved head management of the hybrid system’s generator and differential.
When we reviewed the car late last year, we found it not only to be more efficient, but also far more fun to drive, thanks to chassis stiffening and steering tweaks. The looks may not be for everyone, but these latest feature additions might help buyers forget about stylistic concerns.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.