New Plug-in Prius A Learning Experience for Students

Students from the Medford Vocational Technical High School recently had the opportunity to view the Plug-in Prius that the City of Medford has on loan from Toyota to help educate people about electric cars.

Rich Cormio, Electrical Shop Instructor, explained that his students are studying charging stations and the electrical systems of the various electric cars.

Robert Dell’Ova is teaching the Automative Technology students to be cautious when working on electric cars because they use high voltage and how to avoid being electrocuted when working on them.

The Automotive Collision Repair students, under the direction of Joe Kinch, are learning how to safely discharge the system before doing body work. It is important that the collision technicians are aware that the cars use high voltage when they are working on an electric car. They need to know how to properly prepare the vehicle before beginning any work for their safety and the safety of those around them.

When the students were asked what they thought, Joe McCaffrey said: “80 MPG is awesome. It’s crazy! I thought the price would be much higher.” (The vehicle currently retails for $32,000 to $40,000.) The students really enjoyed the opportunity to see a Plug-in Prius up close. Keith Conway said: “This was a great demonstration. Thank you for the opportunity to see the car.”

Thanks to Toyota, the City of Medford has had the use of a plug-in Prius prototype for the past 8 months. For the first several months the car was used by various offices out of City Hall, including the Building Department, the Health Department and the Office of Energy and Environment. During that time the City took the car to several local fairs and festivals. During December the car was used by Detectives in the Medford Police Department and for January and February the car is being used by the School Department.

– Submitted by City of Medford Energy Efficiency Coordinator Alicia Hunt