Minneapolis mayor drives plug-in car.(R.T. Rybaks usage of hybrid car)(Brief article)

Nation's Cities Weekly, December, 2007 by Tamer, Laura

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's new official city car is a plug-in, gas-electric hybrid Toyota Prius that gets more that 70 miles to the gallon of gas.

The mayor began driving a hybrid Toyota Prius upon taking office in 2002; he decided to pursue the newer plug-in technology when he learned of the dramatically increased gas mileage.

Fully charged, the car runs only on the lithium battery, with no fuel consumption, in city driving under approximately 30 miles per hour, for up to about 30 miles. While driving, the battery charges from the engine and braking system and switches to gasoline fuel at higher speeds and longer distances.

To charge the battery, Rybak plugs the car into a standard 120 volt electrical outlet and uses the stored...

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