Toyota to Test 150 Prius Plug-In Hybrids in US; Exec Says Retail Sales Will Follow
By John O'Dell December 2, 2009
Toyota Motor Co. will launch real-world testing of its plug-in Prius in Japan and Europe this month and will bring 150 of the cars to the U.S. early next year, the automaker told reporters at the 2009 Los Angeles International Auto Show this morning.
Bill Reinert, Toyota's U.S. advanced technology manager, said Tuesday that the company would be marketing a plug-in hybrid within the next few years.
Toyota's plug-in test program, which includes 350 cars in Europe and Japan and the 150 designated for the U.S., is "a necessary first step in societal preparation" for plug-in sales, said Irv Miller, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s vice president for environmental affairs.
Toyota's ongoing testing displays the company's conservative nature and continued unease with lithium-ion battery technology necessary for the electric drive demands of a plug-in.
While Toyota tests, General Motors is preparing to launch its own extended-range plug-in hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt, for national retail sales late next year, and start-up Fisker Automotive plans to bring an $87,000 exotic plug-in hybrid, the Karma, to market at around the same time.
The rechargeable Prius Plug-In will be the first hybrid from Toyota to use a lithium-ion battery and will provide up to 13 miles of all-electric travel at speeds of up to 60 miles an hour before the battery charge is depleted and the reverts to conventional hybrid mode.
The test cars will be placed with fleet and consumer customers in select regions of the U.S. and Toyota will use data generated during their use of the cars to help develop a retail model.
Reinert has said that Toyota still is working with its battery partner, Panasonic, on lithium battery development, aiming to reduce manufacturing cost and improve range and durability and other Toyota executives have criticized lithium-ion technology in the past, saying they don't believe the batteries are cost efficient.
But In a statement released this morning, Toyota said that its "first-generation" lithium-ion battery developed for the Prius Plug-In has undergone more than a million miles of field testing in Japan, North America and Europe and has been "deemed both reliable and durable."
Still, the test program is designed in part to help further battery development.
Test cars in the plug-in fleet will be equipped with data retrieval devices that will monitor users' battery charging activities as well as things such as the cars' fuel economy, EV-mode driving range and battery conditions.
In the U.S., the cars will be laced in programs in California, Colorado New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and several other locations yet to be announced.
Toyota outlined the Colorado program last month, saying that 10 cars would be placed in Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity program in Boulder.
One aim of the test program is consumer education, and to help further that goal the company has launched a plug-in hybrid demonstration program website that explains the technology and will follow the test fleet's performance.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor
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i think toyota missed the boar here by the time they get these vehicels in production nissan will be selling leafs ford will have an all eletric focus and chevy will have the volt making this vehicle moot beyond the point
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