8/26/2010 9:02:14 PM

August 24, 2010

City of Toronto to pilot test a Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid car

Today, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone (Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina), on behalf of the City of Toronto, along with the Province of Ontario, Ontario Power Generation and the AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence, kicked off the first Ontario program to pilot test Toyota’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHV) in partnership with Toyota Canada Inc.

At Toyota's Head Office in Toronto, the partners gathered to launch the project. The City will use one Prius PHV in its fleet for three to four months. This vehicle is one of five Prius PHVs in Canada, and it will be used by the City and by other participating Ontario organizations.

The Prius PHV has the ability to recharge its lithium-ion battery from the electrical grid and travel longer distances and at faster speeds in electric mode than the regular Prius hybrid. The vehicle can be driven for up to 20 kilometres in electric mode with no fuel consumption, silent operation and emissions free.

Participating in a program like this supports the City’s Green Fleet Plan and Sustainable Energy Plan actions, to pilot test promising vehicle technologies including electric vehicles and incorporate them into the City’s fleet. This program will give the City the opportunity to test the vehicle in real-world conditions before potentially adding the PHV to its fleet when it hits the market. It also allows the City to provide Toyota with feedback on the vehicle under different driving experiences and climatic conditions that are unique to Toronto.

For more information about Toronto’s Green Fleet Plan, visit http://www.toronto.ca/fleet. For more information about the Prius PHV, visit http://www.toyota.ca.