Local utility touts plug-in hybrids

Thursday, May 10, 2007

From a story by Mike Ivey in The Capital Times:

Wisconsin Public Power Inc. on Wednesday rolled out a converted Toyota Prius that can be plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet and recharged overnight at home.

This Toyota Prius has been converted to run on both a traditional hybrid gasoline engine and a rechargeable electic battery.
The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV, can travel up to 30 miles on a charge. Once the lithium-ion battery runs down, the regular hybrid system kicks into operation.

As a result, the PHEV can get up to 100 miles on a gallon of gasoline. It costs about 80 cents based on current electric rates to recharge for a 30-mile trip.

Get more details from WPPI's Web site.