Plugging our Plug-Ins

Posted by Colin Hensley on April 29, 2010 in 360° approach, Green Technologies

Yesterday, I came back from Strasbourg where I had been for the launch of a large-scale Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) demonstration in Strasbourg together with the French energy provider EDF, and the City and the Urban Community of Strasbourg. We’ve were lucky to have beautiful weather in a wonderfully picturesque city. There will soon be about 100 PHVs zooming around the region. They are not being driven by Toyota people, but by a group of partners who have decided they want to be involved in this trail-blazing activity, and are willing to commit their own resources to be involved (and a huge thanks to them all).

Another great thing about this project is that it will provide masses of data for all of the partners to be able to better understand how our customers will use the vehicles, and allow for the validation of the techno-economic feasibility of the PHV, before we engage in mass production.

Before then though, we have to look at the feedback from the journalists who were driving the cars this week. From talking with the media in Strasbourg, I was glad to find that we had been able to make our strategy for hybrid clearer. One of my colleagues from Toyota Frey in Switzerland also explained that very importantly, PHV could concretely demonstrate the next steps for hybrid. I believe that once we then link in the Fuel Cell hybrids which are now in Europe, our direction will be seen to be both logical and very tangible.

Over the next few months, we will be launching PHV in a total of 18 countries across Europe, so please keep your eyes open for one on a road near you!

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