Clean & Green: Charge It Up

Caldwell Toyota-Scion in Conway has set the standard in Arkansas for operating a green car dealership.  Having received the prestigious Gold LEED award last year for leadership in energy and environmental design, the dealership is committed to being environmentally conscious. 

That’s why Caldwell was chosen as a site to demonstrate the next generation Prius hybrid, which will hit the market in 2012.

The new Prius will take up to 3 hours to fully charge the car’s battery on a 110-volt outlet. That charge will take the car a full 13 miles without using any gas.

"If a person lives within 10 miles of work, in theory, you should be able to get in this car, drive it to work, recharge it and drive it home and never even engage the gasoline engine," said Jay Caldwell, owner of Caldwell Toyota-Scion.

Currently, 150 prototypes are being demo-ed across the U.S. to test the cars in a variety of different driving conditions.

If the cars catch on, you’re filling station may have to change its name from "gas-and-go" to "charge-and-check out."

Electric cars are expected to grow in popularity with $3 a gallon gas. Also, scientists and researchers continue to improve the battery technology that allows cars powered by electricity to drive farther distances.

You can learn more in this video below.