Toronto mayor announces hybrid conversion project

Last week David Miller, mayor of Canada’s largest city, announced plans to convert hybrid vehicles to plug-in models that can be charged by any wall socket. Miller’s goal is too have more hybrids on Toronto streets leading to cleaner air and less pollution. The city will work to create an infrastructure to support such vehicles.

The first phase of the plan calls for about 10 vehicles to be converted from a regular hybrid set-up to a plug-in design. The goal is to have more than 200 on Toronto streets by next year.

At the press event, Miller said “The key purpose is to determine if plug-in hybrid technology is suitable to Toronto’s climate and roads.”

The retrofits of the vehicles will be done by Hymotion, a Concord. Ont.-based company.
The companies are also working with General Motors on its plug-in hybrid development program.

[Source: ctv.ca]