Toyota announced its launch of a Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHV) demonstration program at Georgetown University. Two vehicles will be loaned to the university as part of a global plug-in hybrid study with TMS and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program managing the long-term evaluation of the vehicles.
During the study, more than 150 PHVs are being delivered to demonstration program partners across the U.S.—600 throughout the world—to demonstrate plug-in hybrid technology, educate and inform the public about the cars, and capture real-world driving data. The Prius PHV is capable of running on electricity for approximately 13 miles at speeds up to 62 mph, at which point it operates as a conventional Prius hybrid.
“By taking steps toward accommodating electric vehicle use, Georgetown continues to advance our sustainability goals, including the reduction of our carbon footprint,” said Karen Frank, vice president for university facilities and student housing at Georgetown.
Georgetown is the first site in Washington, D.C., to participate in the program. Beginning this December, several Georgetown employees will have the opportunity to test-drive one of the vehicles in three month rotations.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Clean Cities and Georgetown University to gain driver feedback on this new technology. These types of partnerships and programs are critical as we strive to bring advanced-technology and alternative-fuel vehicles to market that meet customer wants and needs,” said Jaycie Chitwood, manager of Advance Technology Vehicles, TMS.
The Prius PHV can be recharged in approximately three hours with a standard 110V electrical outlet or 90 minutes with a 220V connection. Georgetown employees will use two newly installed electric vehicle charging stations in a parking garage below the new LEED-certified Hariri Building. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system created by the U.S. Green Building Council.
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 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. The information gathered from the demonstration program will be used in the development of the next generation Prius PHV coming to market in 2012.
