Washington, D.C. (September 29, 2010) ? Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) announced today 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.
For more information about Georgetown?s environmental initiatives, visit: http://sustainability.georgetown.edu.