Toyota says that it plans to lease 150 plug-in electric hybrid vehicles to fleet customers across Europe beginning later this year. The program will start with a fleet deployment in Strasbourg, France, before moving on to three other countries – likely the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.
Tadashi Arashima, President and Chief Executive of Toyota Motor Europe, said, “The PHV is a natural extension of our full hybrid technology, which is designed to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for transport. The pan-European expansion of our limited lease program will enable us to scrutinize PHV performance in a variety of markets with different infrastructure constraints, driving conditions and customer expectations. It represents a critical next step towards broader commercialization of PHVs in the medium-term.”
The Strasbourg program will see 100 vehicles head to fleet and public customers for a three-year period. The automaker says the cars are capable of being driven for short distances on just electric power before a Prius-like full gasoline/electric hybrid system takes over.
05/14, 9:59 AM
posted by:
bigp
ya im first but who cares? not me cause they are late…
05/14, 1:22 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
Those flower and leaf stickers are hideous. They aren’t even green. The best flower-power look was the flower-power iMac back in 2001. I’d rather see a Prius covered in that. Or dark green with light green decals. That would actually look nice.
But that’s a small detail. I’m seriously thinking of running a restaurant business with PHV connections in Baker, CA. That way, the Californians traveling to Las Vegas can stop, eat, and recharge their batteries at the same time – for free. Of course, I would work the cost into the meal price, but it would be insignificant. I’m betting I could get some government money for that kind of venture, but I know it won’t be used much until ten years from now. The key is the food, though, and my family and I have some great recipes.