Who wants to lay odds that I'm buying one?

If you know me at all, you already know that I have a passion for the future of the automobile, especially as it relates to the gradual trend toward electric cars. Needless to say, I've been monitoring the newswire for any mention of upcoming car evolution and have discovered that Toyota is officially introducing a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) version of its Prius in short order. Knowing that real world testing is imminent in Canada, and not one to miss an opportunity, I wrote Toyota offering to help them test the car in Canada. Although in their response, it became clear that this just won't be happening (for me), they did fill me in on what is going on regarding testing at the moment. I thought I would share that with you kind folks (since nothing in their email indicated I couldn't).

Thank you for your recent email. Please be advised that the first Canadian program will test the all-new Prius Plug-In Hybrid under real-world operating and climate conditions as part of Toyota s global trials As we continue to prepare for transportation that relies on less fossil fuel, we have entered the first phase of a national Canadian partnership for real-world demonstrations of the all-new Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid vehicle (Prius PHV). Compared to traditional hybrids, the Prius PHV has the ability to recharge its newly developed lithium-ion battery from the electrical grid and travel longer distances and at faster speeds on electric-power alone. For consumers, this technology means fuel savings and lower emissions, bringing us closer than ever before to the ultimate eco-car. We are working with 13 partners on the first phase of this national trial, including academics, provincial government departments, municipalities and provincial power authorities. Partnerships are in four provinces British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec making this the first Canadian trial of advanced technology vehicles. We will provide each province with a Prius PHV to conduct their local test program, and a fifth Prius PHV will remain with Toyota Canada Inc. for our own technical and marketing tests. Trials will begin shortly and continue through next winter to assess the Prius PHV performance under a range of driving and climate conditions. Each test vehicle will be fitted with a telematics device to capture performance data, and partners are encouraged to drive their Prius PHV in as many road, traffic and weather conditions as possible. Based on the world s most popular hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius PHV is designed to deliver a range of more than 20 KM and top speed of almost 100 KPH on battery alone. In addition, a small onboard Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine enables the vehicle to revert to hybrid mode and operate like a regular Prius giving the vehicle the driving range and performance Canadians demand from today s automobiles. The partners are as follows: British Columbia: BC Institute of Technology BC Hydro City of Vancouver Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources University of Victoria s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems Manitoba: Manitoba Hydro Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines University of Manitoba Ontario: AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence City of Toronto Québec: Université Laval Ministère des ressources naturelles et de la faune (Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife) Hydro-Québec