If you thought the Toyota Prius was eco-friendly, check out the soon to be released Toyota plug-in hybrid cars available by the end of this year. Toyota will start leasing 200 plug-ins in Japan, 150 in the U.S. and 150 in Europe, mostly for rental, such as through special government-backed programs. The cars will use lithium-ion batteries. The plug-in car will recharge from a regular household socket, and when the battery runs low, it will start running as a regular hybrid.

I’m really excited to see how this car works and I’m really excited about the idea of having a car I can plug into my house!