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In preparation for commercial
launch in 2012, more than 160 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles are
being delivered to demonstration program partners across the
U.S., as part of a global demonstration of more than 600
vehicles. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle can be fully charged
in approximately three hours from a standard 110-volt electrical
outlet, or in 90 minutes with a 220-volt connection. A fully
charged Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle is capable of running on
electricity for approximately 13 miles at speeds of up to 62
mph. For longer distances, the PHV reverts to its hybrid mode,
operating as a regular Prius.
“New York City has one of the
world’s most aggressive and comprehensive sustainability plans –
PlaNYC, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent by
2030,” said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “Reaching
our goal means having a more efficient vehicle fleet, and Toyota
continues to be a great partner for City government, which has
the world’s largest fleet of hybrid vehicles. I want to thank
Toyota for making us a part of the Plug-in Hybrid vehicle
program and generously providing these cars at no cost to the
taxpayer.”
“We’re charging down the road to a
greener, greater New York, and thanks to Toyota's innovative new
plug-in technology, we'll be able to charge up along the way,”
said NYCDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. “Working alongside
our car-sharing pilot, we hope this demonstration program will
also help reduce the environmental impact of our operations on
New York City’s streets.”
“Toyota and New York City share a
commitment to building a more environmentally sustainable future
for New York, making this Prius Plug-in Hybrid partnership a
natural fit,” said Yoshi Inaba, President and COO of Toyota
Motor North America, Inc. “As we strive to bring
advanced-technology and alternative-fuel vehicles to market that
will not only benefit our customers but also the environment,
these real-world partnerships are critical to the success of the
program.”
Toyota and New York City have
partnered together on a variety of environmental initiatives.
Over the past five years, the City has purchased more than 2,500
Toyota hybrid vehicles for its municipal fleet. Toyota has also
delivered 10 prototype hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles to John F.
Kennedy International Airport in New York for a demonstration
program with the Port Authority.
The company has also been involved
with a number of city organizations to raise environmental
awareness and promote conservation, including: MillionTrees NYC,
a partnership with the New York Restoration Project;
TogetherGreen™, an initiative with The National Audubon Society;
and the Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF)
program with The Nature Conservancy.
During the demonstration program,
NYCDOT will capture real-world driving data to educate and
promote the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles as sustainable
transportation to the public. In early 2011, data from the U.S.
demonstration programs will be posted on http://www.toyota.com/esq.
This readily available data will show how the Prius Plug-in
Hybrid vehicles are being used and how they are performing. As
the vehicles gather miles, data such as fuel economy, miles
driven, charging times and additional content will be viewable
online. In addition, demonstration partners will be sharing data
and comparing usage and performance of the vehicles.
Toyota has partnered with other
organizations across New York State for the Prius Plug-in Hybrid
program. To date, Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles have also been
delivered to Clean Communities of Central New York, Syracuse
Center of Excellence, CuseCar and Syracuse University's
Department of Energy and Computing Management.
Photo: Toyota
(December 2, 2010)
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