People living in places like the big coastal cities of California, for instance, have gotten used to seeing hybrid cars in their daily lives.
But in other areas of the country, hybrid cars have not made as much of an impact; instead, they are somewhat of a curiosity—something you might see on TV or in the magazines, but not in your supermarket's parking lot.
In addition, some people are less-than-clear on what a hybrid car is, or does. “Does it plug in? Do I have to recharge it?”
Toyota Motor Corp. has decided that the best way to spread the message about hybrid cars is to bring said cars to the people. Therefore, it have decided to launch “Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience,” a national tour that started at the San Jose Auto Show on January 11, and continue touring across the country for the next 18 months, making appearances at a total of 150 events.
Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, of course, will be the star of the show. Consumers will have the opportunity to test-drive the company's hybrid cars and learn more about the underlying technology and features of the hybrid system through a series of interactive educational exhibits.
An interactive exhibit is useful in explaining the concept, but as we all know, sometimes you just have to try it out yourself. In that vein, participants will be able to get behind the wheel of the Toyota Prius, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and Toyota Camry Hybrid during these presentations, to get a real-world feel for how the hybrid technology works, and how it drives.
Toyota has planned four exhibits to go along with the test drives: "Alternative Fuels: Fueling the Future," "Environment and Resources: Small Steps, Big Difference," "The Prius Driving Experience," and "Hybrid Technology: Not All Hybrids are Created Equal".
In an effort to show its environmental credentials and minimize the show's effect on the environment, Toyota is going to plant 50,000 trees, in conjunction with the National Arbor Day Foundation, to offset the carbon footprint of the trucks used to transport the vehicles and the exhibits across the country.