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Toyota to Lease Plug-in Hybrids in Europe

Following in Mini's footsteps, Toyota is building a special testing and leasing program of its own, albeit this time in Europe.

Toyota Motor Europe announced today that it will lease over 150 units of its experimental Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) to selected fleet customers across Europe. The French will be the first to get a taste of what some over zealous Prius owners have already managed to achieve after tinkering with their tree-hugging vehicles. The three-year pilot will most likely follow the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. The first wave of PHVs will reach Strasbourg in late 2009.

“In the future, the PHV will be the perfect complement to Prius. It offers a low carbon transport solution for customers wanting to drive longer distances using electricity, while still experiencing the traditional benefits of a full hybrid,” said Tadashi Arashima, President and Chief Executive Officer of TME.

“There is no better time to put our new PHV through its paces. We have to assess its performance in a variety of markets with different infrastructure constraints, driving conditions and customer expectations,” he added.

Unlike the electric Mini, the PHV can be driven as an electric vehicle or as a hybrid by making use of its petrol engine, which serves as both a power source and battery generator when required. The Li-Ion battery is charged during driving, deceleration or braking, or by connecting its plug to a standard electrical point at home or at work.

Toyota's press release mentions that “part of the Strasbourg-based PHV fleet will come equipped with an innovative charging system that ensures safe charging, communication between the plug and the vehicle, identification of the vehicle and automatic invoicing of electricity.” We're not sure, however, what happens to the rest of the vehicles.

Toyota will also establish a large number of charging points in users’ homes, the offices of business partners, in public parking lots and on public roads.
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