Magnussen's Toyota of Palo Alto is one of the nation's top Prius
dealers. A few days ago, responding to the steadily increasing number
of customers who said "I want my next car to plug in," the dealership
decided to begin taking deposits for plug-in 2010 Priuses. As far as
we know, this has nothing to do with any new decisions or plans by
Toyota Corp.

The dealer is accepting $500 deposits. If you're interested, contact
Eric Doebert, Business Development Manager, at 650.494.2100 and leave
your phone number so he can talk to you. But let's not overload Eric
with customers from thousands of miles away: you're best off working
to encourage your local dealer, even without knowing specific terms,
to take deposits for PHEVs.


WHAT WE THINK ABOUT THIS NEWS: Here's our quote: "One Toyota dealer
moving ahead of the pack will encourage others, and help speed the
arrival of PHEVs into the market. We hope carmakers will get the
message that their customers want plug-in cars, and accelerate their
plans. Without waiting for any new technology or infrastructure,
Toyota could begin to build and sell first-generation plug-in hybrids
now to early adopters and fleet customers. And as batteries improve,
'good enough to get started' will become 'better and better.'" In a
few months, we expect a new President will push for tax credits to
reduce the incremental costs for PHEVs. What better time to get started?


WHAT YOU CAN YOU DO: Encourage other dealers to follow Toyota of Palo
Alto's lead. Tell your car dealer for ANY type of car that you want
to buy one that can plug in. Go to
http://www.calcars.org/sponsor.html and become a CalCars supporter.
With a contribution of $25 or more, get a sticker for your car
saying, "100+MPG hybrids." And at Plug In America's store
http://www.cafepress.com/pluginamerica get stickers that say, "My
Next Hybrid" (or My Next Prius): No Plug? No Deal."


BACKGROUND:

TOYOTA AND PHEVS: Toyota has so far committed only to produce 400
PHEVs for fleet evaluation during or before 2010. Toyota.has
converted a small number of Priuses by adding a second nickel-metal
hydride battery and changing the software so the car can travel at up
to 62 MPH all electrically for about 8 miles. See multiple postings
at CalCars-News http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html .

TOYOTA AND ITS DEALERS: This is the second time dealers are taking
the initiative: the first time came in June: see "Toyota Dealers
Break Ranks with Company, Offer Conversions"
http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/958.html and since then, several
dealers have begun converting vehicles using the Hymotion/A123 technology.

PREVIOUS INDICATIONS OF DEMAND: Plug-In Partners has assembled "soft
fleet orders" for over 8,000 vehicles of different types. At
Chevy-Volt.com, over 33,000 have signed up as serious customers for
the Volt. And we think back to how Toyota customer responded in the
past: see the Toyota Winter 2007 survey
<http://www.toyota.com/html/hybridsynergyview/2007/winter/question.html>
where, when asked what they wanted in hybrids, 39% of respondents
wanted PHEVs; a total of 94% wanted PHEVs/higher fuel
economy/alternative fuel hybrids and only 6% wanted "higher power
output." (Toyota's mostly-muscle Lexus hybrids have managed to
prosper, though some buyers also complain.)

ABOUT MAGNUSSEN'S TOYOTA: http://www.toyotapaloalto.com : The company
is one of the top-selling Prius dealers in California. Eric Doebert,
Business Development Manager, has been at the dealership 11 years. In
2002, he sold 21 of the Toyota production-quality RAV4 EVs to Bay
Area people -- and as far as he knows, all those customers still own
those cars. Eric has shown up at every one of the annual EV Rallies
in Palo Alto. Of course I went to him to order my 2004 Prius; I got
one of the first cars that came to California in October 2003. Since
that car was converted in April 2006, we've gotten nothing but
cooperation from the dealer. The first few times I showed up for an
oil change, all the technicians and salespeople crowded around the
vehicle, talking enthusiastically about how they were seeing the future.

HOW WE HEARD ABOUT THIS: Thanks to Arthur Keller, a longtime CalCars
supporter going back to our founding meeting in 2002, and a board
member of the Electric Auto Association. He and his wife Marianna
Grossman Keller, own two RAV4 EVs. When Arthur was called and offered
a chance for a 2010 plug-in Prius at the Manufacturer's Suggested
Retail Price with "options and colors to be selected later when demo
Prius arrives," he became one of the first to sign up.

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Felix Kramer fkramer@...
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
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