Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: Look for the evolution of sustainable transportation on the roads in Manitoba this summer

 

(WINNIPEG, Manitoba) - July 13, 2010 - A new era in sustainable mobility begins  in Manitoba today, as Toyota Canada delivered a Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid (Prius PHV) to its provincial testing partners at a ceremony in Winnipeg. Toyota Canada and provincial partners Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines and the University of Manitoba were on hand to officially ‘plug-in’ to the future and deliver the Prius PHV to the province of Manitoba.

 

To mark the occasion, the Innovation, Energy and Mines Minister David Chomiak, Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie, Manitoba Hydro’s Division Manager of Corporate Planning and Chair of their Electric Vehicle Task Forceplus, Ian Page, and Toyota Canada’s Managing Director, Stephen Beatty, were on hand for the delivery at the Manitoba Legislative Building today.

 

“At this time of year, as temperatures soar, we are all more conscious of the need to manage our energy use and reduce our environmental footprint,” said Stephen Beatty, Managing Director at Toyota Canada Inc. “We believe the Prius PHV will help Canadian drivers minimize their impact on the environment, with its ability to operate in electric-only mode, with a range and top speed that makes this practical for most day-to-day trips. Toyota Canada is pleased to deliver the first Prius PHV to our partners in Manitoba today as we help kick off of the Canadian test trials of this vehicle.”

 

Toyota’s Manitoba partners will share their Prius PHV, which will be fitted with telematics equipment to record vehicle and hybrid system performance.

 

“Toyota is grateful to have such important partners join us as we work together to gather invaluable real-world impressions and feedback,” Mr. Beatty continued. “But we’re not surprised since Manitoba has already shown great vision in planning for a more sustainable future for personal transportation.”

“Our climate, previous experience with plug-in hybrid technology and Manitoba’s abundant hydro electricity made this province a fantastic choice for these trials,” said Innovation, Energy and Mines Minister Dave Chomiak. “The trial will help position Manitoba to adopt this greenhouse gas-reducing technology early.  Having electrically powered vehicles would make Manitoba more fuel self-sufficient.  It could also create opportunities for Manitobans to develop related products and services as well as expertise in researching and developing components for electric vehicles.”

 

Based on the world’s most popular hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius PHV is designed to deliver a range of more than 20 KM and top speed of almost 100 KPH on battery alone. In addition, an onboard Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine enables the vehicle to revert to hybrid mode and operate like a regular Prius - giving the vehicle the driving range and performance Canadians demand from today’s automobiles.

 

The Toyota Prius Plug-In achieves a fuel consumption of just 1.75L/100km and CO2 emissions of 41 g/km under specified driving conditions (combined electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle modes). Compared to the typical conventional midsize automobile, driving a Prius PHV for one year is expected to reduce one’s fuel consumption by 1,650 L (83%) and one’s CO2 emissions by almost 4,000 kg (or 4 tonnes)[1].

 

Canada has been selected as one of the participating countries for Toyota’s global test of the Prius PHV. Five Prius PHV vehicles hit the roads this summer with 15 trial partners in 4 provinces in the first phase of a nationwide trial, including Manitoba. This enables Toyota Canada to conduct technical and market acceptance tests unique to Canada’s driving experiences and climatic conditions. The real world trials will continue through the coming winter to assess Prius PHV performance under a range of driving and climate conditions.

Moreover, feedback from the Canadian tests will help ensure the Prius PHV performs well in any country where drivers encounter cold temperatures, ice and snow.

 

Canadian Prius enthusiasts are encouraged to join Toyota Canada’s Prius PHV facebook page for information on consumer test-drive event opportunities, telematics feedback updates from the test trials, and more on Toyota’s sustainable mobility efforts (http://www.facebook.com/ToyotaCanadaPriusPlugIn).

 

 

About Toyota Canada Inc.

 

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus cars, SUVs and trucks, and Toyota Industrial Equipment. TCI’s head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver. TCI supports more than 300 Toyota, Lexus and Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers in Canada with services that include training, marketing and environmental and customer satisfaction initiatives. A consistent award winner for product quality and ownership satisfaction, Toyota has sold over three million vehicles in Canada.

 

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[1] [1] Fuel consumption is an estimate based on the Japan JC-08 test.  Fuel savings and emissions reductions claims are based on a comparison with the average fuel consumption of all midsize vehicles listed in Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCAN) Fuel Consumption Guide, assuming yearly average driving distances of 20,000 km/year.