2024 Toyota Prius Prime SE: Long Live the Hybrid King

With 40-plus miles of EV range and modest charging needs, Toyota’s plug-in hybrid Prius may be the last combustion car you ever buy.

The Toyota Prius Prime continues its reign as king of the hybrids with a class-leading 52 mpg for the lightest SE trim level.

That’s before you factor the 45 miles of pure electric range this spec offers after plugging in.

Under EV power, the Prime manages around 3.8 mi/kWh, which is on par with some of the most efficient dedicated EVs on the road today.

An overnight charge at a normal 120-volt home outlet takes around 11 hours. With a dedicated Level 2 charger supplying 240-volts, that time drops to 4 hours.

When the pure EV range runs out, the Prime is able to continue on hybrid gasoline power.

Toyota and the EPA estimate you’ll get around 600 miles per tank of gas, but with regular recharges, many drivers may not burn a drop of gas for weeks at a time.

The Prius interior keeps it stylistically simple, but packs in a solid suite of tech and excellent ergonomics.

My favorite bit is the freestanding digital instrument cluster, which allowed me to more freely position the steering wheel without blocking critical info.

The Prius Prime SE is the most energy efficient spec and features aerodynamic 17-inch wheels.

Higher trim levels get larger wheels and more tech, which increases weight and reduces EV range and hybrid efficiency.

The front doors use mechanical pulls…

…but the rear doors feature aerodynamic electronic handles integrated into the window’s frame.

In the event of a battery failure, each rear door also feature a small physical button that triggers a mechanical release.

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