Toyota’s trial of 20 plug-in hybrid versions of its Prius model to businesses and organisations in London is already resulting in ‘encouraging’, real-world data which shows the fuel and CO2 emission saving potential of the technology, the car maker says.
Interim results from the demonstration trial run jointly between Toyota and EDF Energy reveal that participants are making much of the car’s ability to recharge and are maximising their use of electric drive. With the average journey recorded as just 7.3 miles long, the Prius Plug-in (PHEV) is easily capable of managing it solely in zero-emission EV drive mode.
The prototype cars can drive without consuming any petrol for speeds of 62mph and distances up to 12.5 miles. Currently being trialled on the congested roads of the capital, the cars are averaging a speed of just 17.7mph, with a shocking 69 per cent of journeys completed at speeds less than 18.6mph. Such short, slow journeys mean the Prius models are achieving a fuel consumption performance 27 per cent better than an equivalent diesel car.
Average recharging time stands at 72 minutes, with drivers with access to a domestic charge point recharging more frequently.
Based on the third-generation Prius, the PHEV is equipped with a lithium-ion battery that lets the car be driven for longer distances and at higher speeds on electric power alone. Furthermore battery charge can be topped up simply by plugging the car into a dedicated electricity supply at the driver’s workplace, on-street charging point or home.
Should the battery charge be used up in the course of a journey, or before a recharging opportunity, PHEV will seamlessly switch to power from its full hybrid system, which includes a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine. This means the driver need suffer no ‘range anxiety’ about the distance the car can cover.
The experience already gained from the London demonstration supports the positive results found in demonstration programmes taking place across Europe, with Toyota leasing 200 cars in 18 countries, including a large-scale project with EDF involving 100 PHEVs in the French city of Strasbourg.
Jon Williams, Toyota GB Managing Director, said: “What we have witnessed so far in London, and in similar demonstrations across Europe, is hugely encouraging. It shows that Toyota’s plug-in hybrid electric technology has real value in the urban environment in reducing emissions and fuel consumption, while still giving drivers the freedom to cover much greater distances thanks to the full hybrid system.”
Toyota expects to make a full market introduction of Prius Plug-in Hybrid from 2012.
