Toyota to unveil new Prius as hybrids lose luster

Toyota is about to take the wraps off a revamped Prius, the latest iteration of a car that normalized the idea of owning an environmentally conscious vehicle more than two decades ago. The gas-sipping hatchback — with its combined combustion engine, electric motor and battery powertrain — paved the way for Teslas and other fully electric vehicles. After peaking in 2010, when more than 500,000 units were sold worldwide, customers bought just short of 86,000 Priuses last year. Toyota will unveil the new Prius on Wednesday at an event in Tokyo.