Toyota Begins UK trials of Plug-in Prius Hybrid

In cooperation with EDF Energy which is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, Toyota has started UK trial runs of its prototype Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV). EDF Energy has helped to install the first of 40 charging posts in the UK, with plans to install more in the coming months. The Prius PHV uses Toyota’s hybrid technology with the added benefit that the vehicle’s batteries can be fully recharged using a standard electrical plug or an electrical charging post to lengthen its driving range in electric mode.

The trial builds on the first European PHV testing programme launched by Toyota and EDF on French roads in September 2007 and will see the Prius PHV being tested by the energy company’s employees under every-day driving conditions. These road tests are considered crucial for the Japanese automaker that has already confirmed that it will sell lithium-ion battery-equipped PHVs to fleet customers in Europe and other regions by the end of 2009. -Continued

Rt Hon John Hutton MP, UK Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, speaking at a Toyota - EDF Energy event in London to launch PHV in the UK, said: 'I welcome the launch of this trial here in the UK. I am pleased to see industry pulling together to work on diversifying energy use and cutting global carbon emissions. We hope that this trial will provide an invaluable insight into the future development of UK electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.”