Since its invention, the Toyota Prius has been at the centre of a host of technological advances and now a new venture is on the horizon.
The SmartGridCity project is aimed at increasing grid reliability and energy use information. It will place 10 Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicles into Boulder, Colorado, where they will be the focus of an interdisciplinary research project co-ordinated by the University of Colorado at Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute. The project is a joint venture between the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Boulder will be the first fully functioning smart grid enabled city with the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, Xcel Energy and TMS using the programme to gather data on vehicle performance and charging patterns, as well as consumer behaviour and preferences. It will also monitor the high-altitude, cold climate performance of Toyota’s first generation lithium-ion battery.
The 10 Toyota Prius vehicles will join 140 more as part of a demonstration fleet that will arrive in the US in early 2010. The Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle can achieve a maximum electric only range of around 12 miles and can reach highway speeds in electric-only mode.
When travelling longer distances, the Toyota PHV Concept reverts to hybrid mode and operates like a standard Prius hybrid. The vehicles will be delivered to the SmartGridCity project in March, 2010.
