Nikkei business daily reported that Toyota Motor Corporation is planning to sell a competitively priced Prius-based hybrid minivan using lithium ion batteries in 2011. Reportedly, this new hybrid model will have up to three rows of seats and carry up to seven people. The Toyota Teiho Factory in Aichi Prefecture will make the first Li-Ion battery packs and Panasonic EV Energy Company will mass produce the Li-Ion battery packs later. It is rumoured that the 2012 Prius MPV design will borrow heavily from the Toyota FT-CH concept platform [1]. It is likely that the 2012 Prius MPV will initially be sold only in Japan - which is heavily subsizing the hybrid market there.
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[1] - see photos of the FT-CH concept platform Revealed: 2011 Toyota Prius Hybrid Minivan Concept
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to Unveil Prius Minivan 2011
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