Toyota and EDF team up to trial new plug-in hybrid
Wed 10 September 2008
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EDF Energy and Toyota GB have announced they are collaborating in road trials of the UK's first 'plug-in' hybrid vehicle (PHV). The trials will involve EDF employees road-testing the cars over a year to evaluate their performance. Meanwhile, EDF Energy has installed the first of 40 charging posts in the UK, and part of the trial will also test an innovative charging and invoicing system.
Toyota says that the PHV version of the Prius model utilises the vehicle manufacturer's hybrid technology but also includes a battery which can be recharged using a standard electrical plug or at a charging post. For short journeys the PHV will act as a pure electric vehicle with no tail-pipe emissions, while over longer distances the engine works like the current Prius hybrid.
At the London launch of the PHV trial, John Hutton, the industry secretary said: "We hope that this trial will provide an invaluable insight into the future development of UK electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. This, combined with the demonstration project announced by the Prime Minister, will lead us one step closer to making our ambition of becoming the number one location for low carbon vehicles a reality."
The demonstration follows trials which took place in France beginning in September 2007
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