OVERVIEW
As part of the Electric Vehicles for Municipalities program the Town of Innisfail purchased a new Toyota RAV4 Prime SE plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The PHEV has an expected all electric range of approximately 67 kilometers. When the battery is depleted, and all electric range has been used to vehicle will operate like a standard internal combustion engine vehicle.
This project was funded by the Government of Alberta.
APPROACH
The Town investigated purchasing three different electric/plug-in hybrid vehicles, but ultimately decided on the RAV4 Prime. Due to an influx of inventory to the dealership and several order cancellations, the Town was able to purchase and receive the vehicle in a short time. The RAV4 is first electric vehicle to join the Town’s fleet.
RESULTS
The new RAV4 has several advantages over the 2007 Ford Freestyle it is replacing:
- Reduced fuel cost – By utilizing the mid-sized battery and all electric range for shorter trips, the Town reduce its usage of gasoline and therefore save money.
- Reduced Maintenance cost – By utilizing regenerative breaking there will be less wear and tear on the brakes, which will reduce annual maintenance costs.
- Reduced Green House Gas Emissions – PHEVs are more efficient, and do not produce any direct GHG emissions while operating in all electric mode. The more the Town can operate in all electric mode, the great the environmental impact.
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