The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime launched today at the New York auto show is one of the most prominent launches of them all because it ushers in a new era of fuel efficiency combined with affordable costs and impressive technical upgrades.

Every feature found in the new Prius Prime is something that previous owners of the Prius have been demanding for a long time. The plug-in hybrid offers significantly better range with a total of 22 miles per charge while the fuel efficiency of the electric motor when combined with the gasoline is pegged at 120+ MPGe. The pure EV mode is a welcome addition which locks the car to the electric motor. The vehicle operates using the battery power and the motor even when the driver locks the accelerator at its fullest capacity.

The original Prius launched about two years ago had a meager 11 miles on full charge and it lacked a lot of features. While it is possible to make claims that things weren’t so advanced a couple of years ago, it still wasn’t acceptable that led to the debacle of the Prius. However, the new car has everything one sought for and more making it an ideal comeback for the automaker. Chief engineer of the model, Koji Toyoshima explained its unique features and the changes they have made before bringing it to the crowd one more time.

The car is powered by a 8.8-kWh battery pack which can render an impressive 127 horsepower when it runs in EV mode. When it gets rid of the engine and runs solely on the electric motor, the vehicle can touch a top speed of 84 miles per hour. These significant improvements have made the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime a powerful successor in the Prius lineup. The engineers have mounted the battery near the back seat but alignments have been made to offer enough legroom with thinner seats.

Improving the performance and fuel efficiency of electric cars rely more on the weight factor. It promoted the team to go for carbon fiber rear hatch and lightweight materials. The onboard charged used in the Prius Prime has a capacity of 3.3-kW. Passengers will be able to fully charge the battery in two hours and there are no special power requirements. It works with every household AC outlet but might take a solid 5.5 hours to reach peak charge.

Hundreds of other cars are being displayed at the moment in the 2016 New York auto show along with the Toyota Prius Prime. It’s a car enthusiast’s dream come true in NY, right now!