[ausev] Toyota to offer PHEV as deal installed option

[Rob H]

I posted this on my blog and thought it may be of general interest to the
group:Toyota to offer PHEV as deal installed
option<http://ezehicle.com/archives/477>

I was pleasantly surprised to find a Prius display at the Texas Parks &
Wildlife Expo today.  Toyota was a major sponsor and sprinkled the event
with display cars.  SUVs vastly out numbered economy cars: apparently true
gun totin' Texans like them big cars while effete backpackers prefer
compacts.  Naturally, the organic conservation area was home to the Prius
information booth manned by a local dealer.

According to this dealer, *Toyota will offer a PHEV dealer installed upgrade
option* for the 2008 model Prius!  Even more, it would have be under
warranty.  I've been watching this market for a while and am stunned to hear
it first from a dealer at a wildlife expo.  In fact, there VERY LITTLE on
the web <http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=37189> in general about
this being an option.  I'm skeptical considering some of the other "facts"
this dealer stated, but (if true) this would be *a very big deal*.

If true, it gives Toyota a significant lead in the hybrid market.  It would
also hurt the emerging micro-ecosystem of PHEV conversion kits & companies.
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