Toyota teams up with Japanese power companies for connected PHV benefits

Toyota has teamed up with five Japanese power companies to offer plug-in hybrid connected power services using data from PHVs. It serves as a value added service that’s due to roll out following the launch of the new Prius PHV.

In their statement, Toyota shared their tie up with Tohoku Electric, TEPCO Energy, Chubu Electric, Kansai Electric, and Shikoku Electric to offer a new PHV connected power service. In other words, the EV-mode cruising distance, amount of electricity charged in one's home, as well as other information which is acquired by the data communication module (DCM) that’s installed in the Prius PHV are provided by Toyota to the respective power companies. 

Customers can check their data online, and the service primarily seeks to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by encouraging customers who drive the new Prius PHV to use the car's EV-mode for longer driving distances. So power companies are able to award customers with points, who in turn can use these points to pay their power bills or exchange them for various other products. 

Toyota added that they would continue to analyse the data obtained from the vehicles and strive to offer potential services that could help the consumer and the environment.