Toyota initiated a global testing project with a plug-in
version of the Prius in 2007. The Prius plug-in uses the model’s latest design
as well as an updated lithium-ion battery that allows for limited all-electric operation.
The automaker plans to distribute 600 plug-in Prius units to customers in
Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe. This plan included
delivery of a handful of plug-ins to French testers in fall 2007 and British
testers in early 2008. Toyota announced a partnership last week with French
utility EDF and the city of Strasbourg to run a three-year test of plug-in vehicles
within the city.
EDF is partnering with Toyota to determine if a plug-in
infrastructure can be rolled out in a timely and cost-efficient manner. The
utility plans investments in 150 charging points throughout Strasbourg
including public car parks, private business lots and home garages. This
three-year demonstration will help EDF assess infrastructure demands such as distribution
of charge points, invoicing and management of charges during peak use. EDF will
consult with its German subsidiary EnBW to determine how Strasbourg’s test
compares to a similar demonstration in Baden-Württemberg.
The city of Strasbourg and private companies plan to lease
100 Prius plug-ins as part of the three-year testing process. City officials
will lease five plug-ins with the remaining vehicles leased to individual
testers and corporate fleets. Strasbourg has invested in a series of charge
points along major thoroughfares to accommodate the needs of testers everywhere
in the city. The city government received funds from the French Environment and
Energy Management Agency (ADEME) to attract Toyota to Strasbourg. City
officials and experts at ADEME will look at the balance between vehicle
performance, electrical use and emissions reductions throughout the three year
demonstration.
Toyota’s global test of the Prius plug-in shows that the
technology for greener transportation is more advanced than the auto market would
indicate. It is understandable that Strasbourg, EDF and other prospective users
of green vehicles need to see results before making sizable investments. This
three-year demonstration project will only prove the point that has been made
by countless tests and demos in the past five years. From corporations to
taxpayers, a sizable investment will need to be made in infrastructure in the
next decade to push automakers to sell plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
