Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc is going to reveal its new 2010 Prius Hybrid electric car in the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and it looks impressive.

The new Prius will come with a revised Hybrid Synergy Drive System, which will deliver even better gas mileage. We all know that electric cars are quiet, for the most part, but this Prius will have barely even a small whisper when it’s turned on. You can sneak in and out of the house (for those late night snacks) or go on a looting spree with no one even noticing. You might be thinking, well that’s because there’s no power behind the engine. Oh contraire! As far as hybrid cars go, Toyota says:

“You’ll start the car to hear just a whisper – and be taken aback to discover that despite its apparent meekness, the Toyota Prius pulls off like a dream and powerfully overtakes its competitors”

This car has very striking features, including the Prius’ Smart Key System, which starts the car by pressing the brake pedal and pushing the ignition button, so no more awkward moments after crashing into trash cans after a night of partying. Even if you manage to, no one would know it was you in your car because it’s so quiet! Despite being so quiet, The 2010 Prius will deliver a larger-displacement 1,797cc inline-4 engine to cope with the heavier body and also counter criticism in some quarters about the weedy performance of the current 1.5-liter inline-4. With the new 1.8 engine, output is expected to climb from today’s 75 horsepower to a more rousing 100 hp. Together with a next-generation electric motor, the combined output from the Prius powertrain will increase from the current 110 hp to some 160 hp. It will still be run on nickel metal hydride batteries, but we can see some lithium ion batteries make a debut in these bad boys in the not-so-distant future.

As far as looks go, the new Prius will keep its current shape, but it will be an inch wider and an inch shorter, and it will have more interior space, which is always good for throwing green parties.
There is an optional “premium package” which includes a stylish solar roof (because sun and moon roofs are so 90s). It’s supposed to help with air conditioning and electronics, which make the car even more efficient.
The first Prius is set to be built in Japan, because Toyota delayed completion of the plant in Mississippi.

Now for the 2011 Chevy Volt. The key difference of the Volt is that is already set to run on Lithium Ion Batteries, but we’ll see how that goes. The Volt’s design is based on GM’s Delta/Global Compact Architecture platform.

As far as numbers go, it’s set to be priced at $30,000 but realistically, we’ll probably be seeing this at $35,000. The aim for the Volt is to make it go 100 mpg, while still offering speeds topping at 120 mph, which is ridiculously unheard of for production hybrids. The 0-60 is expected to be around 8.5 seconds.

It will take a charge time of 3 hours to get this bad boy back out on the road, with a range of 40 miles on battery alone. This means, that daily commutes will require NO GASOLINE, for most commuters.

Now for the true distinction, we all know that hybrids have an onboard generator to recharge the batteries, but the Volt’s motor is unique because that’s all the motor does! It never powers the wheels directly, all it does is power the batteries to run the car. This means, that there’s less stress and less consumption of gasoline. On a full battery and full tank of gas, you could squeeze out a whopping 640 miles!

As far as power goes, the Volt can put out 150 horses and 273 lbs of torque. It may not be as quiet as the 2010 Prius, but quiet enough. It will cost an estimated 2 cents per mile on lithium power, and 12 cents on gasoline. Charging can be done by plugging it into a standard household 120V or a 240V outlet, and will cost less than a microwave or fridge.

Looks alone, the Volt is going to rule with its aggressive features, but as far as performance goes, wait… Volt wins again! Unfortunately, the Volt is another 2 years away, so by the time it will be released, cars will probably fly. Which do you prefer?

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