Assembled in Japan, the 2023 Prius Prime is expected to begin arriving in U.S. showrooms in June. Through the first quarter, sales of the current generation Prius Prime were off 62 percent to 994 as dealers struggled to meet demand because of production constraints.

David Christ, head of the Toyota Division for Toyota Motor North America, told Automotive News that the brand’s current plug-in hybrid models — the RAV4 Prime and Prius Prime — “are among the most in-demand vehicles we have.”

Christ said that some dealers with too many pre-sold orders are sending customers to other Toyota stores “out of a sense of transparency because they know they’re sold out and won’t be able to help that customer.” The plug-in powertrain, he said, is “a viable option for customers. A lot of people like the ability to plug it in, get around town on [battery] range, and yet have the flexibility to take the long trip when they want to.”