Toyota has officially announced that it will add a wagon to the Prius range in 2011. A Toyota source said the automaker was adding the wagon model to capture a bigger share of sales to delivery companies, which can benefit from the Prius’ electric-only operation in some city conditions.
Earlier this year we reported that Toyota would debut its lithium-ion batteries in a Prius-derived hybrid wagon in 2011, but the latest report failed to mention what type of batteries Toyota would use in the new wagon.
In addition to the new model, Toyota will also increase the size of the next-generation Prius — scheduled to arrive in 2009 — to comfortably accommodate three adults in the back seat.
According to Automotive News, Toyota is planning to sell 1 million hybrids annually by 2017, a goal that should be aided by the addition of a hybrid-only wagon. Toyota expects to sell 450,000 hybrids this year, lead by its popular Prius which currently accounts for 70% of all Toyota hybrid sales.
