Clare Elchert, Upper School nurse, is one of twenty people across the nation to test out a plug-in Toyota vehicle that will be released in 2012.

Already a Prius owner, Elchert received a phone call from the company a month and a half ago asking if she would be interested in participating in the preview test.

“I love cars – I was interested in the new technology; I have solar panels in my house, and I am environmentally friendly, so I was just so excited to have the opportunity,” Elchert said.

In order to participate, Elchert had to be the only person driving the car throughout the six weeks trial period.  After a training session where she learned about the vehicle, she took full advantage of her time.

The car had 16 miles on it when Elchert first received the car.  To date, she has driven a total of 2065 miles, of which 16 percent was on electric power.

Elchert explained the mechanism by which the car functions.  Once the charge on the lithium-ion battery is depleted, the vehicle switches to hybrid mode, functioning not on gasoline but as a hybrid vehicle.

“This switch from electric to hybrid makes the car very practical,” Elchert said. “When the car runs out of battery, you can still drive and be environmentally friendly.”

The car needs to be plugged in and recharged to resume its electrical capabilities.  “It costs about 50 cents to charge electrically, so I feel good about using it,” she said.

This mechanism proved especially helpful when Elchert drove to Kings Canyon National Park.  Because it was a road trip, she did not plug-in the vehicle during the day, so it would automatically switch to hybrid mode.

“Several people came up to me and said, ‘I didn’t know these were available,’” Elchert said. “They were also especially interested in the vehicle and how it worked, maybe because they were environmentally friendly too.”

The plug-in hybrid vehicle has several distinct characteristics, among them a noiseless engine.

“There is actually a proposition to make electrical vehicles make noise to aid blind pedestrians and such,” Elchert said. To compensate, this vehicle beeps while reversing to alert others of its presence.

Additionally, the plug-in vehicle uses a power button instead of a key to start its engine.

However, there are also some disadvantages to the vehicle. “The sight lines along the side are not ideal,” Elchert said, feeling her side view was restricted more compared to her Prius.

Moreover, though the vehicle can run for twelve to fourteen miles on purely electrical energy, it still needs to be recharged. “It is not quite practical to have a vehicle run only on electric [power],” Elchert said.

Toyota nonetheless maintained an optimistic view on the test. “Through this program consumers will be informed on how these new mobility alternatives will fit with their transportation needs, their lifestyles and their budget,” John Hanson, Toyota’s manager of environmental, safety and quality communications, said.

Elchert also has a positive attitude about the vehicle’s effect on the future of energy consumption.

“People are certainly looking at electrical power as an adjunct to gasoline,” Elchert said. “This is a good start, and I’m hopeful that it will take hold in the future.”