Toyota launching a three-year Prius trial

In order to determine the number of lithium ion batteries it can fit into the Prius which it plans to sell in 2012, Toyota is launching into a three-year trial of plug-ins. The trial will begin at the end of 2009 in Strasbourg, France in partnership with energy provider EDF.

The collaboration is aimed at evaluating the requirements required for a broader charging infrastructure in preparation for its future public use. The lead venture will utilize plug-in variant of the next generation Prius coming with lithium ion batteries instead of nickel cells. The contract includes the lease of 100 lithium ion battery hybrids to local firms to evaluate patterns of usage, which will aid in the analysis of the required range and battery capacity for the production model.
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FanboysStink - 3/19/2009 10:40:49 AM

+1 Boost

I'd say FINALLY. Say 'Hello' to the type of car of the future.

Plug-in hybrids are the way to go. Just unlike any hydrogen toys, they're here, they work, they're affordable and as long as you have a socket at home (I bet you have), charging infrastructure is here too.

Even a range of 30 miles would be perfectly sufficient because it would decrease overall consumption of fuel by more or less 70%. Not bad, isn't it?

The big question is battery durability. In ordinary hybrids only a tiny fraction of capacity is used for simple cycles of braking energy recovery and engine assistance right thereafter. Meanwhile, state of charge is kept as ~50%. That's why batteries in hybrids last so long and never need to be replaced after 6 or 10 years.

In a plug-in though, things are a bit different since batteries need to be fully charged and deeply discharged nearly everyday. That's why these tests are so relevant in showing how the longevity is going to be affected.

Anthony - 3/19/2009 5:58:43 PM

+2 Boost

...and most-importantly, more miles per gallon.

veyron1001 - 3/20/2009 10:02:26 AM

+1 Boost

If you use your head, gas prices will go up again in the summer. It maybe not as much as last summer but I would not be too surprised to see a $3.50 national average.

3pointstar - 3/21/2009 2:43:12 AM

+1 Boost

I think this will be a watershed moment in automotive history. The plug in hybrid will revolutionize the automotive world. Everyone has an outlet plug to charge the car and pays for their driving with the monthly bill from the electric company. The only challenge is if you drive long distances and have to charge out of state. They still have to upgrade the power grid to be smart enough so they can bill the electricity usage back to the plug-in hybrid owner. The folks on the hydrogen fuel cell bandwagon have always been smoking something. Too much infrastructure would have to be invested in and the last time I checked, the banks and homeowners have first dibs on that money. Diesels are great, I love them, but wait until oil prices go up again in the future. Diesel was more expensive than premium last summer!

ceric - 3/22/2009 5:27:39 PM

+1 Boost

Today's hydrogen is mostly made from natural gas. You do have NG in your home, don't you? Honda will sell a convertor to convert NG to hydrogen. It is being tested at some locations where Clarity pump hydrogen. The energy of conversion is solar. A fuel cell vehicle has a range beyond 200miles. What is the range for your EV? 40 miles?
Even if one day you can recharge in 5 minutes, I will have to recharge 5 times before I can travel 200 miles. That would be fun, especially at rainny nights.

ceric - 3/22/2009 5:32:55 PM

+1 Boost

I am not bad-mouthing pure EV. The future belongs to a mixture of energy sources. Saying that EV will be the one energy source in the future is dreaming. Future aviation will HAVE TO rely on hydrogen (do you have a battery huge enough and light enough to power a 747 jetliner?). How about ships and subs? Electricity will certainly play a huge role in our future.