Toyota to test Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles at SU
The Syracuse University community will serve as testing grounds this November for two Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles (PHV) that are not yet on the market.
Two volunteers will be chosen every two months for the next 12 to 24 months to drive the newest unreleased Prius model in place of their normal cars to help Toyota decide how to market the Prius.
Clean Communities of Central New York, a local company focused on adopting practices that reduce the use of petroleum, will choose the volunteers to drive the cars as part of Toyota’s research program. Chosen participants will need to pay for gas and electricity to charge the car’s battery.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program funds Clean Communities of CNY. The department will manage the program, which entails recruiting volunteers from the SU community to try out the vehicles and provide personal feedback through surveys.
As volunteers drive the Prius PHVs, their use and performance habits will be automatically recorded and sent to analysis by Toyota. From there, Toyota will be able to make decisions about how to market the car.
Barry Carr, coordinator of Clean Communities of CNY, said the SU community was chosen because researchers want to see real-world drivers in different situations that are influenced by different weather conditions.
‘Toyota wants to know how the battery performs under different climates, temperatures and driving patterns,’ Carr said. ‘It’s a technological and market test.’
Previous models of the Prius did not have the capability to plug in to recharge. The new PHV is capable of running solely on stored electricity for approximately 13 miles at speeds of more than 60 mph, according to an SU news release. After that, it will run on gas and the electricity generated by driving. The car’s battery takes about three hours to recharge using a standard 110V electrical outlet, and overnight charging is recommended.
Applications are currently available online through a sub-page on SurveyMonkey. The chosen volunteers will receive their cars Nov. 12.
Applicants will have to meet a set of requirements, including being age 21 or older and having a clean driving record, to be chosen for the program. Any SU student, faculty or staff member who fits those criteria is allowed to apply. Those chosen must sign a contract with Clean Communities of CNY and attend an orientation session before receiving their cars. New PHV drivers will be chosen every two months for the next 12 to 24 months, Carr said.
Only the accepted volunteers are allowed drive the vehicles. Drivers may use the cars for commuting to and from campus and for any other personal business. Insurance coverage on the cars is provided by Toyota Motor North America. Clean Communities of CNY will pay for vehicle maintenance and service through local Toyota dealers.
Clean Communities of CNY also placed two Prius PHVs with the Syracuse Center of Excellence and CuseCar, a local community-based car-sharing organization.
Patty Hodapp, a senior magazine journalism major, said she thinks the program sounds like a good idea. She said she would be interested in applying.
‘A lot of students are looking to be more green in every aspect of their lives, and transportation is a big one,’ she said.
Tanya DiPietro, assistant energy conservation manager at the SU Energy and Computing Management office, has been test-driving the Prius PHV since early September. She said the hybrid was a dramatic change from her large SUV.
‘You can go forever without putting gas in it,’ DiPietro said. ‘Next week will be two months, and I’ve only filled up the tank twice.’
Published on November 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm
