HERE’S the challenge: to drive from my home to the office and back in the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid without using a single drop of petrol.

On paper, at least, the task should present no difficulties because the journey length is a total of 24 miles and Toyota reckons this latest version of its flag-bearing hybrid will travel for at least 30 miles on electric power alone.

The journey itself provides a mix of a country lane, where speeds of up to 60mph can be reached, ring-road traffic and city centre streets where stop-start is the name of the game.

The plug-in hybrid combines the attributes of the fourth generation Prius with a claimed class-leading all-electric driving range and a series of innovative technologies.

Toyota was the first car manufacturer to offer plug-in hybrid technology. With the launch of this second-generation version, it is taking a further step towards its goal of reducing its whole-fleet CO2 emissions by 90 per cent by 2050, a target that will also be supported by hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicle technologies.

The aces up this hybrid’s sleeve are a dual motor electric vehicle (EV) drive, a battery warning system and – in two world-firsts – an EV range-extending solar roof and gas injection heat pump automatic air conditioning.

The new Prius Plug-in Hybrid has an EV driving range of more than 30 miles – double the distance achieved by its predecessor – and represents an advance in efficiency, driving performance, innovation and styling.

Effectively it offers customers two cars in one: a more sophisticated full hybrid powertrain and an all-electric driving capability.

The large-capacity lithium-ion battery, located beneath the loadspace, is key to the Prius Plug-in’s 30-mile-plus EV range.

EV power has been increased by 83 per cent, thanks to the development of a dual motor drive system, featured for the first time in Toyota hybrid powertrain.

The battery can be fully charged up to 65 per cent more quickly – in two hours using a connector, or three hours 10 minutes using a standard household plug socket.

The targeted official average fuel consumption figure is 282.5mpg, although I am baffled as to how Toyota arrives at this figure.

I used the car three times for the 24-mile round trip commuting to the office and never used a drop of petrol. If you only ever used it for this type of journey then – provided the battery held sufficient charge – you would never need to call in at a fuel station again.

Similarly, the official CO2 emissions figure of 22g/km is one that will very much depend on how often you use the petrol engine.

The new Prius Plug-in shares the same architecture platform as the latest Prius, but its aerodynamic design builds on the Prius’s profile with new styling elements.

The car measures 4,645mm long, 1,760mm wide and 1,470mm high, making it 165mm longer, 15mm wider and 20mm lower than its predecessor.

In profile, the Prius Plug-in can be identified by its longer rear overhang, its lower cowl and rear spoiler, and by two-tone 15-inch alloys that are specific to the model and designed to provide extra brake cooling.

Sharing the same dashboard design as the latest Prius, there’s an eight-inch infotainment screen with updated graphics, but the instrument panel features satin chrome-plated trim.

For the price of an upgrade in a set of alloy wheels, you can also equip the car with a solar panel roof that generates electricity to the charge the hybrid system battery.

When the vehicle is parked, but not connected to a charging socket, the solar roof charges a solar battery, which when fully charged itself delivers a pumping charge to the main hybrid battery.

Solar charging can increase the car’s EV driving range up to maximum of around three miles every day – the equivalent of 620 miles of all-electric driving in a year.

For the moment, the Prius Plug-in is as good as it gets in terms of offering a rewarding driving experience combined with the latest in hybrid technology and the potential for full-on electric vehicle driving without the apprehension that goes with electric-only vehicles offering only a short range.