Data collected during a pilot programme has demonstrated a 22 per cent reduction in Co2 emissions and an impressive 35 per cent reduction in fuel costs when driving a Toyota Prius compared with the drivers' own diesel vehicles.
The programme was the initiative of Local Link (transport coordinator for the HSE ) which teamed up with a number of partners including Toyota, SEAI, and the Department of Transport, with the objective of benchmarking clean and innovative transport solutions for the future.
In 2017 Local Link made a conscious decision to review all methods of transport being used throughout the organisation and establish a cleaner transport strategy, and the pilot programme, launched in February this year, saw Toyota Ireland supply five self-charging hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for drivers to test. The aim was to establish what advantages they may have when compared to traditional diesel vehicles, in terms of fuel efficiency and emissions reduction.
To make the programme as “real world” as possible, the vehicles were tested in some of Ireland’s most challenging conditions, driven by five taxi drivers serving Letterkenny University Hospital, Donegal.
During the test period the vehicles completed a combined distance in excess of 50,000kms in varying driving conditions including ice, snow, rain and extreme cold. They travelled both long and short journeys on all road types, from national motorways to mountainous country lanes and everything in between.
SPSV Prius PHEV offer
Toyota will match the Department of Transport’s newly announced grant of €3,500 for plug-in SPSVs with a further €3,500 discount off all Prius plug-in vehicles registered before July 31, 2018.
This discount applies to new cars supplied by Toyota Ireland and registered as a Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV ) only.
Contact local Toyota dealer Tony Burke Motors, Ballybrit, Galway, on 091-480123 for more information.
