Toyota to Test Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles in France

Tokyo, Sept 6, 2007; Jiji Press reported that Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. said it will cooperate with France's state-owned power supplier EDF in testing "plug-in" hybrid vehicles.

In the two-year test from this autumn, four plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid models will be tested on public roads with the use of recharging facilities around this French capital, to examine the usability of recharging and billing systems of the vehicles.

After tests in other European countries, Toyota plans to decide when to launch plug-in hybrid vehicles, company officials said.

Toyota selected EDF as a partner for the test because EDF has a wide-area billing system.