On top of the recent announcement by HybridsPlus, Hymotion, a manufacturer of conversion systems for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), announced that it had delivered one of its L5 Prius Plug-in Hybrid systems to HOURCAR, a car-sharing program that serves the Twin Cities, MN.
The Hymotion L5 plug-in system claims to double the already admirable fuel efficiency of Toyota’s Prius hybrid. The Hymotion system boasts 100 mpg at speeds of 70 mph, for the first 30-35 miles and an amazing 250+ mpg in the city at speeds up to 35 miles. To recharge the battery system, you simply plug it into a regular household electrical outlet.
Hymotion currently have systems available for Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. More systems are under development for Lexus RX400h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid. The target price for the L5 Prius kit was $9500 US, installed. Hymotion now has a network of installers across North America.
HOURCAR is the Twin Cities’ fast-growing car-sharing program. HOURCAR, buys, insures, and maintains a fleet of member-shared cars. Research shows that many car owners use their vehicles only a few hours a day. Car-sharing spreads the fixed costs of car ownership among several people. It serves the city with its 13-vehicle fleet of new Toyota Priuses, gas-electric hybrids that regularly garner over 47 miles to the gallon and produce relatively few emissions.
Excellent news!!! They have a ready made market in all those cities that signed on to buy plugin hybrids.
Will quantity production bring costs down? I think it just might.
Posted by: amazingdrx | September 22, 2006 at 02:00 AM
Is this using the new A123 phosphate lithium battery technology?
Posted by: Brian | October 21, 2006 at 12:45 PM