Toyota Motor Corp is to lease out close to 200 plug-in hybrid vehicles in Japan in collaboration with a number of local governments in order to help promote the use of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
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The project will start at the end of 2009.
Toyota is currently developing a plug-in hybrid vehicle—based on the third-generation “Prius”— equipped with a lithium-ion battery that can be charged via external power sources such as household electricity. This will be the first time a lithium-ion battery is to be employed in a Toyota vehicle for propulsion.
Toyota said that it would be introducing a total of 500 plug-in vehicles globally—primarily to fleet customers — in order to further understanding of the vehicles. TMC will introduce approximately 150 vehicles in the US, as well as more than 150 vehicles in Europe, including 100 in France. TMC is also considering introducing plug-in hybrid vehicles in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany.
“TMC has positioned hybrid technologies as core environmentally considerate vehicle technologies and is using them in the development not only of plug-in hybrid vehicles but also electric vehicles and fuel-cell hybrid vehicles. TMC will continue its efforts to achieve sustainable mobility by developing and putting into practical use these next-generation vehicles, which are hoped to contribute to reducing petroleum consumption, reducing CO2 emissions and responding to the diversification of energy sources,” the company said.
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