Toyota Set to Test Plug-in Hybrid Cars - 7/25/07

Toyota is moving ahead with projects in Japan and the US to build the first “plug-in” hybrid car to be tested on public roads.

The carmaker said in separate statements on Wednesday that it had received approval to test drive the vehicle on Japanese roads, and that it was also providing prototypes to two research groups at the University of California.

The project points to a growing rivalry among carmakers to develop the first commercially viable plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Plug-ins use a battery that can be charged from a household power socket, making them less dependent on a combustion engine and thus providing far lower fuel consumption than existing hybrids.

General Motors plans to mass-produce its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid by 2010. A concept version was shown at this year’s Detroit auto show.

Ford Motor announced a partnership earlier this month with Southern California Edison, a power utility, to install rechargeable batteries in 20 Ford Escape sport-utility vehicles, starting later this year. Several other California utilities have launched similar ventures.

Toyota’s plug-in hybrid is based on the Prius hatchback, which was launched in the late 1990s and has become the top-selling gas-electric hybrid vehicle.

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