(May 15, 2011) TORRANCE, Calif. — Following Toyota’s announcement in Japanon  Friday that delivery of the Prius alpha will be delayed, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. announced that the Prius V is still on track for delivery to U.S. customers this fall.

Delay of the Japan-market Prius alpha is due to the ongoing effects of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The new Prius model, which looks like a station wagon or a tiny minivan, comes in two versions — one seating five people, set to go on sale in North America later this year as the Prius V, and one with three rows seating seven people, being offered in Europe mid-2012 called Prius + or Prius alpha.

The one with three rows of seats, which starts at $37,000 in Japan, is equipped with a lithium-ion battery for the first time in a Toyota hybrid. The one seating five people, which starts at $29,000, and earlier Prius models, have nickel-metal hydride batteries.

The lithium-ion battery takes up less space, allowing for more cabin room.

While the U.S. version should be in showrooms in a few months, the version to be sold in Japan could be delayed nearly a year because of parts shortages and the unavailability of the lithium-ion battery.

Toyota projects it will sell 2,000 of the new Prius a month in North America, and another 2,000 a month in Europe. In Japan, Toyota has already received 25,000 orders for the new Prius models — 18,000 for the model with nickel-metal hydride batteries, and 7,000 for the one with lithium-ion batteries.