The announcement was made on Monday in Oslo during a public event where Michel Gardel, Vice President, Toyota Motor Europe and Lars-Erik Årøy, President, TNO signed a Letter of Intent with the partners represented by Jøran Kallmyr, Head of Transport and Environmental Affairs, City of Oslo and Kristian Pladsen, Communications Director, Energy Norway.

“Energy Norway is fully committed to contributing to the electrification of the Norwegian transport sector and to further strengthening the infrastructure as well as the possibilities for Plug-in Hybrids in Norway. We look forward to co-operating with Toyota,” said Kristian Pladsen. Energy Norway is a trade organisation for about 260 generators, suppliers, distributors and contractors in Norway.

Jøran Kallmyr said: “The City of Oslo wants to be one the world’s leaders when it comes to environment and sustainability, and has for years worked to increase the number of electric vehicles in the city. We are looking forward to working together with the industry to develop commercially available solutions for the future. PHVs are particularly interesting because they make it possible for families to have only one car that meets their different needs, without any range limitations”.

“Together with Toyota Motor Europe we are delighted to welcome the City of Oslo and Energy Norway as our partners for this PHV demonstration in Norway”, said Lars-Erik Årøy. “We often say that the PHV reflects ‘the best of both worlds’: it enhances the benefits of Toyota’s full hybrid technology, while overcoming the constraints historically linked with electric vehicles. Now we have the opportunity to demonstrate this with two PHVs under the demanding real-life conditions in Norway”.

The demonstration will assess the vehicle’s performance in urban driving conditions while also gathering information about the experience of drivers and passengers. This includes an understanding of their habits and preferences when recharging the vehicle – either at home, using a standard electrical point, or at charging points at vehicle fleet depots and elsewhere.

Toyota’s PHV adds an extended electric driving mode of around 20 km to the proven benefits of Toyota’s full hybrid technology: low CO2, unrivalled NOx and particulate emissions, exceptional fuel efficiency, seamless acceleration and quiet driving. The PHV can be driven as an electric vehicle for shorter distances or city commutes, while for long-distance journeys it operates as a full hybrid with its petrol engine serving as both a power source and battery generator when required. The battery is charged during driving, deceleration or braking, or by connecting its plug to a standard electrical point at home or at work.

Toyota will deploy around 600 new PHVs globally in Japan, Europe and the US as from the end of 2009.

“The 2010 Chicago Auto Show Prius Giveaway” is being conducted on a newly-launched Facebook page – facebook.com/chicagolandtoyotadealers. Entry information and contest rules are available on this special web page. Entrants must be a member of Facebook in order to become a “fan” of the Fan Page and eligible for the sweepstakes.

Between now and February 18, 10 semi-finalists will be selected with the chance to win a Prius on the final day of the Chicago Auto Show, on February 21. That day, all semi-finalists will meet at the Toyota exhibit and be provided identical envelopes. The envelope containing a picture of the Prius will be named the grand prize winner.

The sweepstakes is open to all legal residents, 18 years of age and older, in the states of Illinois (residing only in the counties of Cook, Dupage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendal, Lake (IL), LaSalle, McHenry and Will) and Indiana (residing only in the counties of Jasper, La Porte, Lake (IN), Newton and Porter).

About Toyota

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs nearly 34,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 1.77 million vehicles in 2009. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com

Tokyo-TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announces it plans to begin a gradual rollout in Japan in mid-2010 of its newly developed “G Sports”1 (G’s) sports conversion car2 series. The series, to be sold through Toyota-brand dealers, is meant to offer to a wider range of people the “automotive seasoning” that TMC has pursued through its GAZOO Racing3 activities.

The G’s series is designed for customers who strongly desire to own a unique vehicle, offering them a personalized interior and exterior design along with sports-driving performance. TMC has directly designed this sports conversion series, instead of the conventional approach of outsourcing development to a customization firm.

The base vehicle of the G’s series is equipped with internal and external components that include sports suspension, aerodynamic parts and racing-style seats. A special focus has been placed on “driving seasoning” to make handling fun, through fine-tuning carried out by the GAZOO Racing test drivers who drove the Lexus “LF-A” in the 24 Hours Nürburgring race in Germany and developed the “iQ”-based “GAZOO Racing tuned by MN4″ (GRMN).

Prius Major Characteristics Table G Sports Concept

Grade base model
S Touring Selection

Model Cars
ZVW30-AHXEB

Vehicle weight
1,360 kg

Engine
2ZR-FXE

DISPLACEMENT
1.797L

Maximum output
73kW (99PS) / 5,200 r.p.m

Torque
142N?m (14.5kg?m) / 4,000 r.p.m

Fuel supply
EFI (electronic fuel injection)

Vehicle dimensions (length × width × height)
4,570 mm × 1,785 mm × 1,460 mm

Wheelbase
2,700 mm

Seating capacity
Five

Drivetrain
2WD (front-wheel drive)

Transmission
Electric variable transmissions

Outside board color “code”
Majora

“Outline” Moon Craft Yura Style
* Front bumper
* G’s emblem (side, rear)
* LED beam line
* 18-inch alloy wheels and performance tires
* Red dots mark Toyota pedestal
* Rear bumper
* Dual Muffler
* Rocker Mall
* Carbon Aero Mirror
* Kabonborutekkusujenereta
* Kabonriasupoira
* Kabonkuotapaneru (G’s with logo)
* Autarenzureddoriakonbineshonranpu
* G’s Sheet Cutting

“Indoor”

* Black in color
* Red-stitched leather steering wheel, piano black decorating
* Red Piano Black shift knob and decorative
* Piano Black center cluster decorating
* Air Diffuser Air conditioning decorative piano black
* Red Line, G’s glove box with Mark
* Push start switch with G’s logo
* Aluminum pedals
* G’s RECARO seats (D, P seats)
* Red seat (seat)
* Black & Red Paipingufuroamatto
* CAN display information display

“Functional”

* Supotsurodaunsasupenshon (-30mm)
* 4Pod caliper front facing, rear caliper opposed 2Pod (ADVICS made)
* Furontosurittorota Φ334, Riasurittorota Φ310
* Sports brake pads (ADVICS made)
* Reinforced Body
* Underbody aero parts
* Pafomansudanpa (made by Yamaha)