Toyota will provide two experimental plug-in electric hybrid cars to the University of California for road testing, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The new vehicles can travel 100 miles on a single gallon of gas after a boost from a rechargeable battery that plugs in to a standard 110-volt current.
UC faculty, students, and local business owners will take the hybrids for a spin to test its everyday performance. Short, common drives like trips to the supermarket could probably be powered by the car's battery alone, experts hope. "This is absolutely the first step of a major manufacturer in putting plug-ins on the road," beamed one Californian hybrid advocate. (More Toyota stories.)