Officially, official: Toyota will lease 150 plug-in Priuses in Europe starting in late 2009
Plug-in Toyota Prius prototype - Click above for a high-res gallery
We heard in March that Toyota would bring 100 plug-in Priuses to Strasbourg, France. The company has now spelled out more of its European PHEV Prius roll-out plans, and the highlight is a total of 500 new-generation plug-in Priuses in operation in Europe, Japan and the US by 2010. In Europe, the new-generation PHEV Priuses will come to Strasbourg first, and communities in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands are among the potential test areas that will get the next wave by mid-2010. Unlike the first-generation Chevy Volts, Toyota will be testing PHEV Priuses that can communicate with the grid. Tadashi Arashima, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said in a statment that, "There is no better time to put our new PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle) through its paces. We have to assess its performance in a variety of markets with different infrastructure constraints, driving conditions and customer expectations."
Gallery: EDTA 2008: Toyota Plug-in Prius
[Source: Toyota]
PRESS RELEASE:
TOYOTA TO LEASE OVER 150 PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLES ACROSS EUROPE
Toyota will lease over 150 units of its next generation Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) to selected fleet customers across Europe as part of a three-year programme. Alongside France, Toyota is in discussion with three European countries, including the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
The new PHV comes equipped with a powerful lithium-ion battery, extending the vehicle's range in electric vehicle mode for a silent, zero emissions drive. The first wave of new PHVs will be deployed to Strasbourg, France, in late 2009, with other markets following suit by mid-2010.
Tadashi Arashima, President and Chief Executive of Toyota Motor Europe, said, "In the future, the PHV will be the perfect complement to Prius. It offers a low carbon transport solution for customers wanting to drive longer distances using electricity, while still experiencing the traditional benefits of a full hybrid. There is no better time to put our new PHV through its paces. We have to assess its performance in a variety of markets with different infrastructure constraints, driving conditions and customer expectations."
Toyota's PHV overcomes the obstacles historically associated with electric vehicles (e.g. high battery costs and limited cruising range) by building on the existing benefits of Toyota's full hybrid technology, as used in Prius. A PHV can be driven as an electric vehicle for shorter journeys, while for high-speed, long-distance commutes it operates like a full hybrid, with its petrol engine serving as both a power source and battery generator.
A PHV can be charged during driving like a regular hybrid (through driving, deceleration or braking) or by attaching its plug to a standard electrical outlet either at home or at work. Compared to Toyota's full hybrid Prius, a PHV is able to run more often in its petrol-free, electric-only mode, meaning lower running costs and less CO2, especially when renewable energy is used.
In partnership with EDF, Toyota has been road-testing its current generation PHV (equipped with a Nickel Metal Hydride battery) in Europe since 2007. Later this year, approximately 100 new generation PHVs will be leased to selected fleet customers and public bodies in Strasbourg, France, for a period of three years.
Part of the Strasbourg-based fleet will come equipped with an innovative charging system that ensures safe charging, communication between the plug and the vehicle, identification of the vehicle and automatic invoicing of electricity. A large number of charging points will also be established in users' homes, the offices of business partners, in public parking lots and on public roads.
Toyota is preparing to deploy a total of over 500 new generation PHVs in Europe, Japan and the US by 2010.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
radler63 4:25PM (5/15/2009)
While other automakers face ruin our big hope focuses on Toyota that they will hear our pleas and bring a smaller PHV to the market...
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Nikki Bloomfield 5:33PM (5/15/2009)
I just wish that I could get the chance to rent one of those 150 vehicles. I ended up getting tired of waiting and converted my own...
www.aminorjourney.com
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Stew 8:41PM (5/15/2009)
"assess its performance in a variety of markets"
"road-testing its current generation PHV (equipped with a Nickel Metal Hydride battery) in Europe since 2007"
For the love of God you have got to be kidding me. Are you going to ever be done assessing and road-testing and actually just SELL them?
What are you afraid of?
Here's an idea, go have a chit-chat with all the RAV4-EV owners. They are sprinkled throughout the US in various climates, they've been road tested for about a decade now, is that good enough?
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NeilBlanchard 10:19PM (5/15/2009)
Hi,
What is the battery pack size?
What is the EV range?
How long will it take to charge?
It is frustrating -- it seems like a no-brainer! ALL Prius's should be PHEV's!!
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:54AM (5/16/2009)
The PHEV Prius is a parallel hybrid and this has no real zero-emissions range. This just increases the fuel efficiency for the first X miles, instead of removing fuel usage completely for the first X miles.
I'm sure Toyota will list some token EV range for it (say 10km), but it'll also have a speed cap which probably means it's only good as a neighborhood EV and not really for commuting to work as an EV.
Chris M 11:01PM (5/15/2009)
Yes, the delays are frustrating, but it looks like Toyota is working on some innovative new technology and wants to get everything just right, first.
The communication and automatic vehicle identification sounds really cool, it would make paying for public charging so much easier. Just have a monthly bill that (hopefully) you can pay online with no hassles.
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Yanquetino 7:46AM (5/16/2009)
If Toyota pulls this off, the Volt is dead in the water.
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:56AM (5/16/2009)
I disagree. I personally find parallel hybrid plug-ins to be unattractive. I want to drive to work and back on electricity only, not just get better fuel economy. And since the electric motor is not sized large enough to be the sole mover of the vehicle in a parallel hybrid, they cannot function fully on electricity only, no matter how big a battery pack you stuff in them.
Look at a
why not the LS2LS7? 11:57AM (5/16/2009)
ooh, AB didn't like my less than sign.
continued..
Look at a 15km or less EV range with a speed cap of 70km/h or lower on the Prius EV.
Yanquetino 12:46PM (5/16/2009)
LS2LS7: I actually agree with your opinion on parallel hybrids. However, I had the impression that, unlike the current Prius, or even a Hymotion bolstered "Prius EV," the PHEV model will be a serial hybrid, just like the Volt.
At least that's what Wikipedia reports: "On July 18, 2006, Toyota announced that it 'plans to develop a hybrid vehicle that will run locally on batteries charged by a household electrical outlet before switching over to a gasoline engine for longer hauls.'" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_hybrid )
As far as I know, Toyota hasn't released any specs about that vehicle's pure EV range. Have you seen them? My bet is that it will go just as far --nay, even farther-- than the Volt.
If so... then I repeat that the Volt is dead in the water.
As for my own preferences... I wouldn't want either. I have pledged that my next car will be a pure EV, like the iMiEV, the Mini E, the Th!nk City, the Aptera, etc. And I'll keep our current ICE for those rare times when we do need to travel out-of-state, haul heavy loads, tow a trailer, navigate a blizzard, etc. Every time I have pulled out my calculator to project both dollars and carbon footprint, having a hybrid garage (instead of a hybrid vehicle) wins hands down.
And someday, when our old ICE gives up the ghost... I predict that someone will be manufacturing a PHEV powerful enough to replace that workhorse.
Bill 6:07PM (5/17/2009)
Toyota won't have a plug-in hybrid (parallel or serial) for SALE to anyone until well after the Volt's current timeframe for release.