Toyota  seeks to raise awareness of the Prius Plug-in hybrid’s fuel economy, this week launched the second phase of the Prius Plug-In MPG Challenge, a 30-day contest among seven eco-friendly groups and individuals to achieve the highest overall fuel economy.

The Prius Plug-in hybrid is EPA rated at 95 MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent, a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed.

The vehicle competes in the small but growing alternative power segment. This year through June, the segment’s U.S. sales have jumped 12 percent from a year ago to 173,464 units, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

Through June, sales of all Prius units slipped 5 percent to 120,214 units.

The Prius competes against the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which had its U.S. sales rise 12 percent this year through June from last year to 9,855 units, and the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, which more than tripled its sales through June from a year earlier to 9,839 units. Volt and Leaf sales rose after Chevrolet offered cash rebates of $4,000 on the 2013 Volt and $5,000 on the 2012 model, and Nissan cut the price of the Leaf.

“We have found that there is a general lack of understanding about electric and hybrid technologies in the general marketplace and anxiety about range,” a Toyota spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail.

In the Prius Plug-In MPG Challenge, competitors must travel at least 300 miles total and 75 miles each week. The winner is the participant with the highest fuel economy after 30 days, based on the vehicle’s trip computer. Each phase’s winner receives a $2,500 donation to the charity of the winner’s choice. Second- and third-place finishers receive charitable donations of $1,000 and $500. Each participant also receives a $200 gasoline card.

Participants in the second phase of the challenge are from environmental organizations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The winner of the first phase, which launched in May, was the Helping Hands Food Pantry, which drove more than 506 miles with an average fuel economy of 356 MPGe — 261 MPGe more than Toyota’s estimated average in EV mode.

Toyota chose the competitors based on their efforts at demonstrating and promoting environmental awareness.

While there are no plans to hold competitions in regions other than the Northeast, a Toyota spokeswoman said that if the campaign continues its success, Toyota may expand it to other areas.