Toyota to Lease 500 Plug-in Gas-Electric Hybrids Globally Beginning This Year

Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday announced that it would begin leasing 500 plug-in hybrids based on the Prius model globally by the end of this year, primarily for government and corporate use.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, said in a statement it would lease 200 in Japan and 150 each in the United States and Europe, including 100 in France.

Plug-in hybrid cars can be cleaner than regular hybrids because they can be charged to run purely on electricity, but the need for more batteries makes them expensive. Many companies are working to bring the price of the batteries down, which in turn would reduce the price of the low-emissions, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Toyota's plug-in cars would be the brand's first to employ lithium-ion batteries, which are costly but can store more energy than nickel-metal hydride batteries used in most gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.

Among other carmakers, bankrupt General Motors Corp. is planning to launch its much-hyped Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid next year.

In the statement, Toyota said it is developing a plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the third-generation Prius and capable of being recharged via external power sources such as household electrical outlets.

A plug-in hybrid vehicle typically operates as an electric vehicle when used for short distances and as a conventional hybrid vehicle when used for medium- to long-distance trips. This means it can be driven regardless of remaining battery power or the availability of a battery-charging infrastructure.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are able to achieve greater fuel efficiency than conventional hybrid vehicles, limit consumption of fossil fuels, reduce climate-changing emissions and atmospheric pollution and, by charging with off-peak electricity, promise a more economical vehicle-powering solution.

In addition to Japan, the U.S. and France, Toyota is considering introducing plug-in hybrid vehicles in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany. Toyota said it will put the vehicles on the road to further their use and understanding.

Posted by

Scott Doggett June 3, 2009, 11:51 AM

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