Westborough, MA —  Dec 2, 2007 — A 2007 Plug-in Prius is being field tested through this Tuesday at the Hybrid Center of Massachusetts at Westboro Toyota, located on Route 9 West in Westborough. Yesterday and today, nearly three dozen potential Prius Plug-in buyers put their names on a waiting list to purchase the plug-in kits. Depending on the size of the battery pack, the kits will cost between $8,000 and $9,500.

The Energy Freedom Fighters the Hybrid Center of Mass. have initiated field testing on what will soon become America's first volume-production, 100+-mile-per-gallon, plug-in Toyota Prius conversion product. The hybrid vehicle uses a high-performance conversion package developed by Toronto, Canada-based HyMotion, a division of A123 System Inc. in Watertown, Massachusetts.

The Energy Freedom Fighters were at Westboro Toyota yesterday to test drive the Plug-in Prius with potential buyers and to interview people interested in the plug-in kits. The interviews will be used in an upcoming episode of the weekly, one-hour show on True Talk 830 AM WCRN, whose powerful 50,000-watt signal reaches all of New England during the day and half of the U.S. and Canada at night.

Shown, below, are (left to right): Jim Dunn, co-host of the Energy Freedom Fighters; Jon Tonelli, assistant manager of Westboro Toyota; and Gilles Labelle, manager of the Hybrid Center of MA and co-host of the Energy Freedom Fighters. They are posing with the 2007 Plug-in Prius at Westboro Toyota.

Jim, Jon and Giles with Plugin Prius at Westboro Toyota

With rising fuel prices, Americans are increasingly interested in finding ways to achieve higher fuel efficiency and lower overall vehicle operating costs. In addition to various 40-to-55-mile-per-gallon hybrid vehicles produced by Toyota and Honda, there is significant interest in plug-in hybrids, which are ideal for commuting to work. This is because plug-in hybrids operate primarily on electric power for the first 25 to 35 miles of travel, achieving an average fuel economy of up to 100 miles per gallon. Plug-in hybrids have additional battery packs, which enable them to operate primarily on electric power for up to 40 miles before needing to be recharged in the evening or when not in use, utilizing a standard, 110-volt extension cord.

The recent demonstrations of plug-in hybrids at the White House and leading auto shows highlight the advantages of using low-cost electric energy instead of gasoline. This provides the added benefit of a reduction in the harmful CO2 and other emissions that contribute to extreme climate change.

The plug-in Prius being tested by the Energy Freedom Fighters and the Hybrid Center of Mass. was converted by HyMotion, using lithium-ion batteries made by A123 Systems. HyMotion has developed a unique system for quickly converting Toyota hybrids to plug-ins, typically in less than two hours. HyMotion has received numerous contracts for converting Prius vehicles to plug-ins, extending the range of the electric-only mode from two miles to more than 30, while doubling the net effective fuel consumption to 100+ miles per gallon. For those people whose average daily roundtrip commute is less than 30 miles, they will like using virtually zero gasoline. In addition, they will be able to recharge the additional set of batteries in the Prius at a cost of less than 75 cents per charge, or less than 3 cents per mile!

The Hybrid Center of MA has been promoting plug-in hybrids for more than eight years. Now, a giant step towards the solution is finally here! By using our nation’s current electrical power grid, the U.S. generates enough off-peak electrical power to meet 70 to 75 percent of the daily commuting needs of Americans. In addition to cutting fuel costs and vehicle emissions, plug-in hybrids will greatly contribute to balancing our trade deficit.

Plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles are more than just the future of our transportation needs. Just as importantly, they will also help to make the U.S. independent of foreign energy suppliers!