Syracuse Testing Out Prius Plug Ins

Toyota Chooses Central New York For Year Long Test On New Hybrids

If you're in Syracuse, keep an eye out for Toyota Prius plug in hybrids on the street.  The automaker recently delivered 6 Prius hybrids for a year long test in the Central New York city. 

The project is part of a partnership of Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., Clean Communities of Central New York, Syracuse University, the Syracuse Center of Excellence and CuseCar, a Syracuse not-for-profit car-sharing service.

On electric power, the Prius plug-in hybrid has a range of 13 miles at speeds up to 62 mph . When the power runs out, it runs as a conventional Prius hybrid.

The cars can be charged in a just over three hours using wit a 110-volt outlet, said Barry Carr, coordinator of Clean Communities of Central New York, the local chapter of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities Program. A 220-volt outlet will shorten the charging time to 1.5 hours.

Jaycie Chitwood, future fuels and environmental strategy manager for Toyota, said Syracuse was chosen for its partnerships and the reach and scope they bring. The project partners can expedite the public acceptance of alternative fuel vehicles through community outreach and education.

"We need partners on the ground who can help spread the message,'' Chitwood told Syracuse.com.

So who gets to drive the cars? SU, the Center of Excellence and CuseCar will have two plug-in hybrid Priuses each. The drivers will rotate every two months to give Toyota sufficient data about how each person uses the car differently. Toyota plans to post the data on the Internet.

Anyone who becomes a member of CuseCar can drive the cars, said Vita DeMarchi, co-founder and director. Membership plans start at $18 a month, plus an hourly usage rate.

The move is in preparation for a full 2012 launch.  600 vehicles total are being tested around the world with 153 of them in the U.S.