Toyota has signed a partnership agreement with the City of Oslo to run a demonstration project with two Prius Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles in Norway for three years as from June 2010.
Toyota is in the process of deploying a fleet of around 600 new Prius PHEVs in Japan, North America and Asia. This project is part of Toyota’s pan-European PHEV limited lease program that will involve around 200 vehicles on European roads with the support of Toyota Financial Services.
Based on Toyota’s full hybrid technology, Prius PHEVs are equipped with a powerful lithium-ion battery extending the vehicle’s range in electric vehicle mode allowing for zero-emissions driving.
The demonstration will assess the vehicle’s performance in urban driving conditions while also gathering information about the experience of drivers and passengers. This includes an understanding of their habits and preferences when recharging the vehicle – either at home, using a standard electrical point, or at charging points at vehicle fleet depots and elsewhere.
Toyota’s PHEV adds an extended electric driving mode of around 20 km to the proven benefits of Toyota’s full hybrid technology: low CO2, unrivalled NOx and particulate emissions, exceptional fuel efficiency, seamless acceleration and quiet driving.
The Toyota Prius PHEV can be driven as an electric vehicle for shorter distances or city commutes, while for long-distance journeys it operates as a full hybrid with its petrol engine serving as both a power source and battery generator when required. The battery is charged during driving, deceleration or braking, or by connecting its plug to a standard electrical point at home or at work.
