London Business Fleet Users To Test Out Toyota Plug-In Hybrid Cars

From GreenWise

London business fleet users to test out Toyota plug-in hybrid cars

Greenwise Staff
21st June 2010

London business fleet users are to test out Prius plug-in hybrid cars as part of a three-year lease demonstration programme launched today by Toyota and EDF Energy. The programme will see 20 Prius plug-in vehicles join the vehicle fleets of five businesses and public organisations and take to the streets of London from July 2010.

EDF Energy will deliver the charging points at workplaces, on-street and at domestic locations.

The businesses and organisations taking part in the scheme are News International, Sky, Transport for London, the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Metropolitan Police Service.

Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme
The demonstration programme is part of the Technology Strategy Board’s £25 million national Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme (ULCVDP) and the data collected from it will provide Toyota, EDF Energy and the UK Government with information on user behaviour and attitudes, vehicle performance and energy recharging and infrastructure issues.

"The new Government has committed to a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The demonstration that we launch today plays a key part in that development. Transport currently accounts for around a fifth of the country’s carbon footprint and the take up of clean, electric transport can help the UK meet its climate change targets," said EDF Energy managing director of ESCS Martin Lawrence.

No need to change daily driving behaviour research shows
Today’s plug-in demonstration is one of eight taking place across the UK through the ULCVDP. Last week, the UK’s largest trial of electric vehicles (EVs) by the CABLED consortium in the West Midlands released data that seemed to confirm that most drivers will not need to change their normal daily driving behaviour to accommodate low carbon transport.

The report covered the first quarter of a year-long trial of 25 Mitsubishi i-MiEVS and showed that an average overall distance of 23 miles was travelled each day by drivers, much less than the 80 mile range the i-MIEV is capable of.

Meanwhile, today Mitsubishi Motors UK delivered six all-electric i-MiEVs to the northeast as part of trials taking place in that region through the ULCVDP.

The Prius cars involved in today’s London lease programme are equipped with a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged by being connected to a standard 240V electricity supply. The London programme is part of a worldwide Toyota initiative involving 600 Prius Plug-in, 200 of which are in Europe, which will support Toyota’s plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid vehicle to the market within the next few years.

EDF Energy is also working with the Greater London Authority with the aim of installing up to 550 public access charging points across the capital, as part of the 'Plugged-in Places' programme.