Toyota launches plug-in Prius fleet trial

The long-awaited plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius made its debut on British roads yesterday with the launch of a major trial that will see public sector and fleet operators lease the potentially game-changing vehicle for three years.

Transport for London, the Government Car and Despatch Agency, the Metropolitan Police Service, News International and Sky are to lease a total of 20 cars as part of a project designed to assess how effective the vehicle proves at curbing carbon emissions and fuel costs.

The project, which forms part of the Technology Strategy Board's Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme, will use a network of charging points installed by energy giant EDF to analyse how fleet operators and motorists use the next-generation Prius on a day-to-day basis.

EDF Energy's Martin Lawrence said that the project would play a key part in the government's long-term plans to roll out a national network of vehicle charging points, providing crucial information on motorists' driving and recharging habits.

Plug-in hybrids, such as that being trialled by Toyota, have long been positioned as a potential solution to the "range anxiety" experienced by electric vehicle drivers concerned that their car will run out of energy without access to a recharging point.

Toyota's new Prius features a lithium-ion battery alongside a 1.8-litre petrol engine, and as a result it allows motorists to drive up to 12.5 miles solely using the car's electric motor before switching to the petrol engine.

Toyota said that as a result the car can manage many short urban journeys without releasing any emissions, while also allowing people to take longer journeys. Overall the company reckons the car boasts fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions of 108.6mpg and 59g/km respectively.

The company said that it hopes that the UK initiative combined with its wider trial of 600 plug-in Prius around the world will allow it to launch the vehicle commercially within the next few years.